Rogue
by moviefanatic17
Summary: When a former agent is wanted for the murder of a Marine, the team is called in to hunt one of their own.  As usual, things are never as they seem and buried secrets, old cases, and new emotions turn an open and shut into a tangled web.  AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey!**

**Well, here it is. This is easily one of the most ambitious stories I've ever attempted, but the first chapter doesn't show it. This is an AU story, and just to be safe, spoilers up through Season 2 (only background information) will pop up. Please enjoy, and if you do, let me know. Regardless of what anyone says, reviews are pretty much what we write for!**

**You know the drill...I own nothing! CBS and Shane Brennan have all the fun.**

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><p>"<em>You know, you hit like a girl."<em>

"Funny, I'd say the same about you, Deeks."

Special Agent Kensi Bly laughed as she ducked another punch. It was the same conversation the team had _every _time they trained together. Her partner, LAPD liaison Marty Deeks would make a comment on her fighting skills while she was kicking his butt, then her boss would send some retort back on her behalf. Sometimes it was about his appearance or his fighting skills, it really didn't matter.

"Don't break a nail!" he chimed again as Deeks' right cross glanced off her arm.

"Oh, come on Sam," Deeks whined, blocking a left hook. "Just because I…_ooph…_didn't grow up playing with Marine commandos…hey!"

Kensi landed a kick right to his side, effectively ending whatever little jab he would have gotten in. Satisfied with the amount of damage she caused, she stepped out of 'the ring', grabbed a towel and threw another to her partner.

"Yeah, as opposed to pretending to be He-Man."

"Oh, I know you're not going to bash He-Man," Deeks retorted. A strange look came over his face as he raised his fist. "I HAVE THE…".

"I swear, if you finish that sentence Deeks, you won't be breathing long enough to regret it," Special Agent Sam Hanna stated, glaring toward his agents. Although he sounded serious, Kensi could tell that he found it all as funny as she did. Though she had little doubt that Sam could make Deeks regret speaking.

"Pff, you're all jealous."

Kensi shook her head as she walked into the women's lockers. She could hear the bickering continue through the open door, but as soon as it closed she was enveloped in silence. Not saying NCIS was biased, but there was a much larger ratio of men than women operatives, which meant she was usually alone. Though she'd never been uncomfortable with it; like Deeks joked, she _had _grown up around Marines more than girls her own age. By now it was second nature.

Showering quickly and redressing, Kensi made her way out to the bullpen. As suspected, a cleaned up Deeks and Sam were still arguing with each other, while their junior agent Dominic Vail sat idly by, a grin plastered on his face. Kensi smiled as she passed some other agents, before hearing the voice she forgot she'd been avoiding that day.

"Miss Blye!"

_Shit…Hetty_. Knowing there was no way to successfully avoid her for more than a few minutes, Kensi stretched her smile a little further and walked over to the operations manager's desk.

"Morning, Hetty," she said brightly, hoping to get through this little chew out relatively unscathed. Because everyone knew, Hetty only ever called across the room to chew you out.

"Yes, it is, but unfortunately not a good one. You wore this yesterday on the Rivers case, did you not?" the older woman asked, holding up a long white trench with a large golden buckle in the center. Kensi nodded. "And would you please explain to me what _this_," she pointed to a large brown smudge across the front "and _this," _a rather ugly reddish brown stain on the sleeve "might be?"

"Well," she began slowly, going over the events from the day before in her mind, "that one on the front is from tackling the suspect into, well, the mud. And that one there," she pointed at the stain on the sleeve, "looks like blood, which was also the suspect's."

Neither answer seemed to please the little woman, and although she nodded, her face remained in the same position. "I see. Well, the next time you decide to run down suspects while _undercover, _I suggest you do it in something other than Versace."

After promising she would (even knowing it was unreasonable to do so), Kensi had time to only glance toward the bullpen before an annoyingly high-pitched whistle came from above, followed by their technical operator's enthused voice.

"We've got a body!" Kensi turned her head toward him with an eyebrow raised and assumed most everybody else did too. Eric's face dropped as he looked down at them. "Too much? Okay, too much."

Kensi shook her head and grabbed onto the wrought iron railing of the stairway. For being a secret government installation, they really hadn't done too badly on location. The building was a beautiful Spanish style, with large skylights allowing the sun to pour in. The stone walls gave it a warm feel, and plants were scattered throughout. It was funny how much this building had become her home in the two years she'd worked for NCIS.

Where the bulk of the building was comfortable and warm, the OPS room was all cutting edge. Giant plasma screens covered the walls, computers stuffed multiple corners, and in the center was a large metal and glass table. This was the brain of OSP, monitoring everything and anything. And behind it all were their technical operators.

"Okay, so about twenty minutes ago a call came into LAPD about a body found near a Venice fishing district," Eric began, swiveling in his beloved chair. A photo popped up on the screen with a few clicks of his handheld. Kensi noticed the warehouses surrounding the area where the body was found, and what looked like a market to the left of the buildings. Drawing on her knowledge of the city, a market near the fishing warehouses in Venice would make sense.

Focusing again, she watched as the picture zoomed into the body lying in the center. The man was dressed in civilian clothes which were stained red down the front. He was on his back, and lifeless green eyes stared into the distance. Kensi took note of what looked like bullet wounds in his chest and the pool of blood he was in.

"LAPD got an ID on his prints," Nell Jones continued, and a picture of the same man appeared on a military ID badge. "Staff Sergeant Greg Campbell, stationed as a squad leader at Camp Pendleton. LAPD got the ID and handed it over to us."

Sam nodded and pushed himself off the table. "Alright, Dom and I will take the victim's apartment. Eric, you got an address?"

The blond nodded and pressed a few more commands. Meanwhile, Sam turned to them and said "Kensi, take Deeks to the crime scene. Maybe he can be useful and _liaise_."

"Oh, ha ha Sam," Deeks glared, "you know that you couldn't work without me. Do I need to bring up the Riaz case again? I saved your ass, Kensi can back me up. Right, Kensi? Kensi? Hey, wait up!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everybody**

**Thanks for the reviews, guys. And no, evershort, you are not wrong! It should become a little clearer in this chapter (but not completely, because where's the fun in that?) I'm glad you liked the banter! It's always the best part of the show. TwilightPony21, thanks for the awesome review - it's crazy to think someone actually follows my stories, and I thank you for it. tibbee, thanks for the words of encouragment, they're always welcome. I hope you all enjoy this one, and feel free to leave some more comments!**

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><p>Kensi closed the door on her partner's voice, berating her choice of route on the trip to Venice. No matter how lighthearted it was, they could only last so long without an argument. So what if she'd taken the 1 instead of the 405? There'd be traffic anywhere at any time in the city; she'd learned that long ago. It was why she'd gotten a respectable amount of speeding tickets and traffic violations in her time. Or so she liked to say.<p>

Flashing her badge got her inside the yellow tape of the crime scene, and Kensi walked to the blood pool, slapping on a pair of black latex gloves in the process. The body was being loaded into a medical examiner's van as she walked, but the physical evidence was left where it had been found. She glanced over to Deeks, who was having an uncomfortable conversation with who she assumed was the lead LAPD investigator on the case. Before they took over, that is.

Bending down, she noticed a manila envelope lying on the pavement near the pooled blood. Kensi tentatively picked it up and opened the top flap to glance inside. _Nothing_. Besides the envelope, there wasn't much else lying around (just your average parking lot junk), but she hoped the crime scene techs would find something she might have missed. She could see Deeks walking back, and stood up as he reached her.

"Anything useful from LAPD?"

"Not much. An anonymous call came in at about 8 this morning, and they found everything as is."

"Well, there aren't any rounds here, so either the shooter policed his brass or shot from the roof."

"Unless he was shot somewhere else and stumbled here," Deeks pointed out and Kensi silently agreed. It was a guessing game until the coroner looked at the body.

The empty envelope popped into her mind. "And no one moved or touched anything?"

Deeks shook his head. "Nah, they left everything as soon as they got a positive ID on him. Once the techs get all the evidence back, we should know something more. Otherwise," he stated, "there's not much else here." He scanned the skyline around the buildings, and added "Looks like there are some cameras on the buildings there. And that one," he noted, pointing toward a pole near the market, "should have a pretty good angle of whoever came in here with our Staff Sergeant."

Kensi started walking to the car, but faced her head back toward him. "Call Eric, have him get on that right away. I'll let Sam know we're on our way back. And try not to hurt yourself there," she added, just as he was nearly clotheslined by the crime scene tape. She laughed as she watched him and went towards the car. But as luck would have it, she turned her head back around and ran straight into a man standing near the edge of the scene.

"Whoa, careful," he said, grabbing her shoulder as she stumbled back a bit.

Apologizing and thanking him, Kensi regained her balance and joined back up with Deeks, who was looking very smug.

"Walk much, Kensi?"

"Shut up."

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><p>"Find anything at the Staff Sergeant's apartment?"<p>

Sam and Dom came into the OPS room, joining Deeks and Kensi near the table. "Looks like our Staff Sergeant was building a little rainy day fund for himself," Sam stated, crossing his arms.

"We found about $50,000 in a fake floorboard under his bed," Dom explained. "There was also a copy of his will with the money, dated last week."

"He knew something was coming," Deeks mused as Sam handed a card to Eric.

"Run this number. It was with the cash we found." Eric nodded and started punching in numbers. The computer beeped at him and he shook his head.

"It's a burn phone, no longer operating. Although," he added, hitting a few more commands, "this phone made three calls to Campbell's phone in the past twenty-four hours and received a bunch more from him."

"See if you can get anything else," Sam stated and Eric nodded.

"Anything on those cameras at the scene?" Deeks asked, pacing over toward the door.

"Well, the cameras on the warehouse are dummies, more for show than anything. The camera out by the market only catches the entrance of the compound, but I was able to pull some footage." A few clicks on a keyboard and footage popped up on the screen. "Now, here we have the Staff Sergeant entering the area at 2:49 a.m."

Kensi watched as Staff Sergeant Campbell, barely visible in the glow of the streetlight, walked in view of the camera. He was not wounded, which meant he'd been shot in the area they'd found his body. He looked around a few times and even glanced behind him as he walked forward, which she took note of.

"He's nervous," Kensi mentioned, watching as Campbell disappeared from the screen.

"Well, he had good reason", Nell stated, fast-forwarding the tape until another figure appeared on the screen. "At 2:53, we have this man going to the Staff Sergeant's location. Then, two minutes later, we have the same person leaving the area. Unfortunately, the image quality isn't good enough to get a facial ID."

_Great, basically a whole lot of nothing_, Kensi thought before she remembered the envelope. "What about the envelope we found at the scene?"

"There were a few sets of prints, most belonging to the Staff Sergeant himself. However, they did find a partial on the flap. The computer is running them now."

Looking back, it was an eerie sign that the computer decided to bring up a result at that exact moment. The machine beeped suddenly, drawing everyone's attention up as a large photo of an ID badge filled the screen. Piercing blue eyes stared out from the monitor, and it took Kensi a moment to realize what she was looking at. It was a federal agency badge. But not just any agency: NCIS. And in large, glaring red letters, one word stood out: _wanted_.

The reaction in the room was not what Kensi had expected. She could almost feel Sam freeze next to her, Nell had gasped, and Eric stared at the screen, mouth hanging open. Dom and Deeks, however, had reactions similar to her own; confusion.

"Do you guys know him?" Deeks questioned. Kensi looked at him and shook her head. Sam cleared his throat, and they all turned.

"He was my partner."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone,**

**I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! Thank you all for the great reviews, and evershort, hopefully this chapter will explain the 'employment timeline' a bit. If not, let me know. Anyway, enjoy!**

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><p>An hour later, Kensi and the team were sitting at their desks, papers strewn around. At a glance, it would seem that there was a lot to go through, but it was just the opposite. Closer inspection of their reports and information on a 'G Callen' would show that for every one line of writing, there would be three blacked out.<p>

Kensi sighed as she glanced at the page in her hand once more. It was a basic personnel file, standard for all NCIS agents. Although she wasn't very familiar with them, she knew that this one would be bare in comparison to most, including her own. Her gaze fell on the photo at the top of the page, and she couldn't help the strange feeling of familiarity that hit her. She felt as though she'd seen him before, but couldn't place where. Probably in an old report or something.

"Special Agent G Callen. Former DEA, CIA, and up until a few years ago, lead agent here at NCIS," Nell stated. Since Hetty had retreated to her office and Sam wasn't exactly jumping to share his knowledge, Nell and Eric had forged on without them. But while Eric still looked thoroughly shocked, Nell managed to brief the three members who hadn't even heard of an Agent Callen until today.

"Okay, so how does a lead special agent get a target on his back from the same agency he works for?" Deeks asked, and Kensi saw Sam's jaw clench. Obviously whatever happened with his old partner still wasn't sitting well.

"Well," Nell started, but her face fell. Kensi could tell she didn't know how to continue.

"Thank you, Ms. Jones," Hetty took over as she walked up behind them. She looked at Sam for a moment before continuing. "Mr. Callen was an exceptional agent. He could become any cover, any identity that a mission would require."

"So what happened?" Dom questioned.

Kensi almost jumped when Sam finally spoke. "Durke."

"Who's Durke?"

"Trent Durke was a civilian linguistics specialist under contract with the Navy. Someone was paying him to deliver stolen military information into countries with the highest bidder."

"And traveling wouldn't look suspicious given his job," Kensi added, understanding where Sam was going.

Sam nodded and continued. "After we caught up with Durke, he told us that the leak of stolen information was coming right out from under our noses, right from NCIS. Said he'd tell us who it was if we would cut him a deal. So we sent him to a safe house with some agents to wait out a deal with the judge." Sam shook his head as he paused for a moment. "We didn't hear from our guys the next morning so Renko and I went out and found our agents unconscious and Durke with a bullet through his head."

"How does this tie to Callen?" Kensi asked.

"The bullets they pulled from Durke were matched to a Sig Sauer, same as every agent's firearm. That shouldn't have even been used against him," he added, more to himself than anything.

"But didn't one of the agents name Callen as the one who attacked them? And didn't they find his prints…?" Nell asked, but withered under the look Sam shot her way. Hetty took notice.

"Needless to say, the evidence was against Agent Callen," she stated, and Kensi was surprised by the expression of disappointment that crossed the usually stoic woman's face. She could only imagine what it was like to have one of your agents go rogue.

"But no one was certain he did it?" Dom asked. Kensi was wondering that herself.

"Well, the leak stopped after he left," Eric said, finally comfortable enough to speak. "And with the bullet, fingerprints, and witness statement, there wasn't much doubt about it."

"Then the CIA came in and screwed it all up," Sam stated bitterly.

"What do you mean?"

"We informed the CIA that we would deal with Mr. Callen ourselves, but they got impatient."

"No," Sam interjected, "they got stupid. Callen spotted their tail a mile away, and he's been in the wind ever since."

"Wait a second," Deeks said, leaning forward in his chair, "we haven't even seen this guy since?"

"He did what he was best at, Mr. Deeks," Hetty answered solemnly. "What he'd been trained to do his whole life; he became a ghost."

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><p>Kensi envied people with regular jobs some days. They drove to work at a regular time, worked their eight hours, and went home, leaving their work <em>at work<em>. Unfortunately, federal agents didn't have that luxury.

This case was going to be rough, she could already tell. Their reports were nearly useless, and no one had sighted Callen in almost two years. And now he was supposedly working as a mercenary for the highest bidder? The complications just kept piling up. Not to mention the connection between the suspect and their team leader.

Kensi had never heard Sam mention the team he had before she had gotten to NCIS. When she arrived, Sam was team lead, Renko was still with them, and Agent Matt Kaprin had just transferred to a team in Panama City. The creation of the LAPD liaison position brought Deeks onto the team within a few months, and Kensi had been partnered with him since. Renko left on a long term assignment shortly after, and Kensi couldn't really say she missed him that much. Nell had transferred over from another department in OSP and began working with Eric about a year after Kensi joined, and Dom had just joined the team two months ago.

She wondered for a moment how Sam would react when they caught up with Callen. Because they _would_ catch him, that much she knew. Kensi couldn't help but think about if she was in her leader's place. If Deeks went rogue and turned his back on his country and his team, she would kill him herself.

But if someone told her Deeks went rogue, she wouldn't believe them, and that nagging idea made her question how Sam really felt about Callen's case. Would he be able to bring his former partner in, or shoot him if the situation called for it? Shaking the thought from her head, she pulled up to her house. She knew Sam, and he would do whatever it took to do right by his country and his team.

Stepping out of the car, she made sure to lock it and kept her keys in hand. As safe as she felt around her home, a dark street in LA was a dark street, and you never knew who could be waiting for you in the hidden shadows. Hearing a rustle in a nearby bush, she held the keys tight, ready to use them if she needed to. They could do some serious damage in a pinch if you knew where to hit.

By the time Kensi got to her door, she had found the cause of her alarm. _Looks like the neighbors forgot their cat again. _Sighing, she shook her head and put the key in the lock. The job made her paranoid, but paranoia kept agents alive. She felt the small surge of adrenaline from the moment drain from her body, and suddenly all she wanted was her couch and a pint of chocolate shame.

She didn't feel the slight disturbance in the air until she had thrown her keys down on the table. There was a light on in her kitchen, and Kensi couldn't remember leaving it that way. The cold metal of the gun at her back reassured her, but she kept it in its place. She didn't know how many times this had happened before and didn't want to accidentally put another bullet hole in her house. Nevertheless, she hesitantly peered into the kitchen and almost stepped in before a voice came from behind her.

"I don't think he's in there."

Instincts kicked in and Kensi went whirling around. Balling her hand, she swung hard at the source of the voice with all her might. Though the room was still dark, she could make out the man's figure as he blocked her attack, grabbed her arm and spun her around. He had the size advantage, but Kensi doubted he knew just what kind of fight he was in for.

"Look, calm down," he started, but she wasn't listening. She kicked back, catching him in the leg and forcing him to release her. Using the momentum, she turned and got a few hits to his face. He didn't hit her back, but caught her fists once more and pushed her away. She started reaching for the gun that was at her back when he saw her actions and forced her against the wall.

Kensi could feel his hand brush her back as he grabbed the gun, sending a shiver up her spine.

Unable to move, she briefly wondered if this was her last moment and thought of how she could take back control when he backed away.

Knowing he had her firearm kept her from attacking him again (at least until she could get to her secondary), so she instead turned around slowly to face him. The light from the next room fell across her, but the attacker was still in the shadows. His rough voice broke the silence that had settled.

"Do you mind turning on a light?" When she didn't answer, he gave a small chuckle. "I'm not going to shoot you."

Somehow his voice was familiar, but she couldn't place why. This was what every agent feared; having their real identity discovered and their home breached. This man could be anyone, from any case sent to have her killed or worse. She hadn't been an agent long, but enemies seemed to add up faster than she'd ever imagined when she joined. This man's tone irked her, but she did as he asked and reached a switch on the wall.

Honestly, Kensi could say she wasn't expecting the man in front of her, but really, she should have. If G Callen had found a way to stay hidden for over two years, obviously he could find out where she lived. And that thought worried her, because she had no idea what she was dealing with.

"So you're the elusive Callen," she stated, being sure to use her best less-than-impressed tone. He looked the same as in the file picture they had from his NCIS badge. His hair was still cut short, and it looked like he hadn't shaved for a few days. He looked tired and weary, though he was still handsome. There were a few more lines on his face than she recalled from the photo, but his eyes were still the same striking blue that had first caught her attention.

He seemed surprised when she used his name, but masked his reaction well. He wasn't fazed by her tone and simply shrugged, but there was a look in his eyes. It was mischievous and she didn't like it. "You, Agent Blye, should pay better attention to people you stumble into."

_The son of a bitch… _Kensi thought as her mind went in a million directions_._ He was at the scene. She'd practically fallen into his arms and now he was here. Coincidence? No way. Had he been following her the whole time?

"What do you want?" she finally asked, gritting her teeth to keep her temper in check.

"What, can't two people have a friendly conversation?" he asked, tone dry.

Kensi snorted. "I'm not usually friendly with rogue agents who betray their country and their team. Besides, you are pointing my gun at me."

His eyes seemed to darken with some unexpressed thought, but only for a moment. She wondered if he even had any emotions left to show, as none crossed his face at her jabbing. It was probably what had made him a good agent. _Before he started working against his own._

"Well, I'm sure you've talked to worse." Kensi watched as he passed the gun from one hand to the other. "And as a sign of goodwill, I'll give you this back. After we've talked," he added.

"How gracious," she responded, putting her hands in her pockets and feeling for her next lifeline.

There were certain standards you followed when in a 'trapped' situation, and Kensi knew them better than most other agents. Being the only female on the team required her to walk into her fair share of traps and since she hadn't been able to fight her way out of this one, the next thing to do was try and contact her team. Digging in her pocket as discretely as she could, she felt the smooth screen of her phone. Times like this made her regret having a touchscreen, but she knew enough to find the buttons and the placement of them on the front. Of course, going against another trained agent made everything harder because they knew your moves before you even tried them.

"You don't need to do that," the rogue agent nodded toward her pocket. "I already told you I'm not going to hurt you. Besides, Sam gets awful cranky when you bother him at home. Is he still trying to play mother hen?" He paused for a moment, gauging her reaction. "I'll bet he is."

Kensi ignored him (though vaguely noted he was right) and watched as he set the gun down on the table next to him. She crossed her arms behind her, which bumped lightly into a lamp nearby. "So you deny what you did?"

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "I guess that depends on what you think I did," he answered, and a heavy silence fell over them.

Kensi saw an opportunity and she took it. She grabbed ahold of the lamp and whipped it in his direction. Aim didn't matter, but the motion had the desired effect as Callen ducked, giving her just enough time to pull the gun at her ankle. _He should have known to check_.

Ignoring the doubt in her mind, she took a second to enjoy getting the drop on _former_ Agent Callen. When he rose back and saw the barrel pointed at his head, he looked only mildly surprised, and it irked her more than it should have. She gripped the gun a little tighter.

"Look, just hear me out."

Kensi gripped her gun even tighter when he stepped forward, though they were across the room from one another. She didn't trust him, but something in his eyes stopped her from ignoring him and calling Deeks or Sam. Or worse, shooting him where he stood. "What do you want from me?"

"I need your help."

It was so direct that she almost thought she misheard him. Trained agents didn't mishear, which led her to believe he was just crazy. He needed her _help_? She would help him find his way to a jail cell for killing two people and committing treason, but otherwise her list of favors for him was non-existent. Stifling another snort, she settled on narrowing her glare instead. "And why should I help you?"

He looked at her for a long moment, and Kensi fought the urge to squirm under his piercing blue stare. She was getting impatient when finally, he spoke.

"Because I know who killed your father."

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><p><strong>I realize I always seem to end these chapters on a cliffhanger (of sorts) but hey, it happens. Also, I'm not really experienced with close quarters combat, much less writing it, so I apologize if it doesn't seem right. Hopefully it all makes sense. Thanks for reading, and reviews are always welcome.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, first off, thank you for all the great reviews: I love getting them! And now to answer a few of your questions:**

**Annabeth - no, the show has never said what really happened to Kensi's father - but supposedly Kensi's going to be on an episode of Hawaii 5-0 this season (and only her), so I get the feeling there might be something brought up about it. But that's just me guessing, so in reality I have no idea!**

**searching4sanity - Renko was never on 'the team' as we know it in the show. I was trying to fill up the roster for Callen's team when he would have been the leader before Deeks, Kensi and Dom joined up. **

**As far as deaths go, there may or may not be some ahead...What I can tell you is that you WILL know the traitor within NCIS (yes, my diabolical mind is turning one of our beloved team members evil!) Hopefully it will be as unexpected to you as it was when it popped into my head. **

**I feel kind of mean for just adding this chapter as its very, very short. I promise the next one is longer!**

**Please enjoy and review!**

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><p>It was like being slapped in the face. <em>No, much worse than that.<em> It was like someone was sitting on her chest, pushing until she could no longer breathe and fell into the abyss of unconsciousness. _Yeah, that's closer_. Finally, Kensi found her voice.

"What did you say?"

"I know who is responsible for your father's murder."

All at once, the blood starting throbbing through Kensi's head and a pressure built behind her eyes. She felt out of breath for a moment before the white, hot sting of anger ripped through her body. How dare he come here and lie to her? Did he think he could just show up, tell her something like that and expect her to let him go?

But what if he wasn't lying? Why else would he have tailed her in the first place, and not Sam, who was someone he knew? Besides, how would he even know about her father? Was he trying to catch her off guard so he could do something? He still hadn't moved from his position, but she noticed his gaze move from her face to the gun she was still pointing at his head.

Glancing at her shaking hands, she understood his apprehension and lowered the gun. Shooting him in the head would get Kensi no answers, but at this point it might make her feel better. Her insides were in turmoil, but a well-practiced mask remained on her face. She needed him to think she was calm until she could figure out what he was playing at. Then she would take him in for murdering the Staff Sergeant.

"Tell me."

His gaze was suspicious at her quick concession, but Kensi paid no mind. She sat on the couch, ignoring the fact that letting a wanted criminal spin a story in her living room went against every fiber of her being. Somewhere in the depths of her mind, she recognized with cruel irony that he was the first man to set foot in her home, with exception to her team. And this man's tale began with a name.

"Colonel James Barden."

Kensi only had to think for a moment. "He was my father's CO at Pendleton." She knew Colonel Barden from before her father's murder and after. The horrifying days and weeks that followed his death had been filled with people offering condolences to the grieving daughter, which in reality made it that much harder to deal with. Kensi hadn't known many of them, but she knew every man who was supposed to be with her father that night, and she knew Colonel Barden. He had left the service shortly after her father's death, and last she heard his company had military contracts for private security overseas.

"Well, our good Colonel isn't the all-American hero he's made out to be," Callen stated, crossing his arms. Something about the way he said it made her picture him telling it to his former team in the OPS center. He sounded like he was explaining a new case, and in a way, she supposed he was.

"What are you talking about?"

Callen looked away and moved from his place near the wall. Kensi's hand instinctively went for her gun as she stood, but stopped short when he spoke. "That will have to wait. I've got to go. But you need to know one more thing." He paused, and Kensi looked at him quizzically. "Someone at NCIS is betraying you all."

"Speaking from experience?"

Callen's jaw clenched, but he made no comment on her words and walked to the door. "Barden has been betraying the military for years and it needs to stop. I can help you take down everyone he is working with. You can believe what you want about me, but this is the only chance you're going to get for some closure. Like it or not, you're going to have to trust me."

Becoming a good agent took a lot of practice and training, that was a given. But you had to have instincts to survive in the field. The ability to read a situation and decide what path to take was second to none. And despite the fact that she was supposed to be catching Callen (not _helping_ him), she knew she had damn good instincts. So she followed them.

"Okay."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everybody - **

**Thanks again for all the reviews! As promised here is a longer chapter than the last one. evershort, about your review: I'd say it's something to keep in mind, but it's not really a big point right now. Slowly, everything should start making sense if I do my job right! **

**And in you guys haven't noticed, I am absolutely in love with Chris O'Donnell's eyes...hence all the unnecessary attention. What can I say? :D**

**Disclaimer (cuz I always manage to forget): CBS owns it, I don't. It gets more depressing every time I have to admit it. **

**Please enjoy!**

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><p>Morning came far too soon for Kensi's liking as she glared at the alarm clock next to her. <em>5:46.<em> Staring at the ceiling, she briefly wondered if the night before had been some sick and twisted idea her mind had brewed, but the gun under her pillow told her otherwise. She was dead tired, but rolled out of bed and decided to go to work, as she was too focused to go to sleep, yet too distracted to focus on anything else.

Walking into OPS felt strange as she remembered what Callen had told her. Even though it was nearly deserted at this time of morning, she couldn't help the looks she knew she was giving the few people already working. The thought that someone in this building was working with the man responsible for her father's death was unsettling. The man who was _supposedly _responsible.

Keeping in mind that everything Callen told her could have been a lie, she decided to do some digging of her own. Grabbing her personal laptop, she searched Colonel Barden's record. There was nothing in it that would tell her why Callen suspected him.

Abandoning the Colonel, she turned her attention to the Staff Sergeant. There were no disciplinary actions in his record and no other signs of problems. He lived on base, had no family other than a sister in Utah, and everything from the PES showed that he was a good Marine. And besides the fact that he was stationed at Pendleton, there were no connections between the Staff Sergeant and Colonel Barden.

Digging further, Kensi found that the Staff Sergeant's bank accounts were low, but that wasn't uncommon for a career soldier. What was interesting was that most of the payments were going to a Holly Richmond, whom she discovered was SSgt. Campbell's ex-wife. Monthly checks were being taken out like clockwork, and Kensi could tell that what was left wasn't enough to get by on. Anyone would be desperate in that kind of situation. But where did Barden come in? And what about the $50,000 in cash that was found in his home?

"Hey."

Kensi jumped as Deeks came up behind her, holding out a cup of coffee. He raised an eyebrow at her reaction and set the coffee down on the desk before her. "Sorry," she hurriedly mumbled. Although Deeks didn't look like it, he was a good cop and could tell something was up with his partner.

"What? Late night?"

"You could say that."

"What's his name?" Deeks cracked, waggling his eyebrows at her and Kensi nearly spit her coffee.

"Ugh, you would Deeks!" Kensi retorted, thinking briefly of what he would have to say if she told the truth. He was her partner after all, and she knew she could trust him, but something inside kept her from bringing up the night before. She instead settled another sip of hot coffee, glaring over the lid at the smiling blonde.

"Fine, keep it to yourself if you want. I'll tell you all about mine," Deeks said cheerfully.

"Let me guess, met a girl, asked her out, rejection, and a night spent watching _Cheaters_ with a pint of ice cream. How close am I?" she asked, returning her gaze to her laptop. She could hear Deeks' mock sound of hurt as she glanced over SSgt. Campbell's financials once more. Not to be ignored, Deeks stood up and walked behind her chair, leaning over her head to read the screen.

"What're you looking at?"

"The Staff Sergeant's financials."

"Why? We already have pretty good evidence of who killed him."

_Yeah, you do. And he didn't exactly deny it last night. _Instead of voicing her thoughts, she settled on another truth, saying, "Yeah, but we don't know why."

Deeks nodded and walked back toward his own chair. "Might as well. It's not like Callen's going to pop up anytime soon. It's been how many years since he's been seen? It's gonna be awhile until we catch up with him."

"Maybe not as long as you think, Deeks," Sam stated, throwing his bag down by his chair and depositing a metal box on the table. "Hetty dug this up for us."

Most investigators would take one look at the box and wonder why there was even a need to dig it up. Even Deeks' gaze moved from Sam to the box and back. But Kensi knew exactly what they were looking at.

Every field agent in the Office of Special Projects had one of these boxes, but they were never seen for more than the time it took to throw one alias in after it was used. Rarely did you want to dig through the box to look for an old alias, because that meant something had either gone wrong with a past case or a similar situation had come up. And neither one of them was very appealing.

In any case, your box became a part of you, and to dig into someone's box was like invading their mind. You could find out how they operated, who they could become, and what they could do. But in the current situation, this one steel box was all they had of the elusive ghost that was Callen, and Kensi felt the need to know everything about the man she was figuratively 'getting into bed with'.

Kensi leaned forward in her chair and watched expectantly as their team leader opened it with a snap of the metal latch. From what she knew of Callen, she expected the passports and identity papers to be bursting from the box. Instead, there were only a handful of books in varying colors and cards with the same striking blue eyes staring up at her.

"I thought there would be…more," Dom said hesitantly, looking to Sam.

"There are." Sam grabbed a few of the ID's and sifted through them, shaking his head as he did. "Figures, Callen _would_ be the one to not even trust the security of NCIS."

"Yeah, or he took them with for his new line of work," Deeks muttered.

"Wouldn't they have put his former aliases on alert?"

Sam turned to Dom. "NCIS only keeps aliases in the database for two years. Then the hard copy files are sent into an offsite storage facility for security." Picking up one of the licenses, he added "That's probably why he left these. They were all used in the… last couple months he was here, I'd say."

"I don't see how these will help us," Kensi stated, tossing one of the ID's on the table dejectedly. _Or help me_. Somehow, she was hoping to find something she could use against Callen if need be.

"Well, let's focus on the Staff Sergeant for now. If we can figure out why he was killed, maybe we'll figure out where Callen fits into this. And how we can find him," Sam stated, standing up from the table. "Deeks, take Dom and talk to Campbell's men. I want to know if anything was off with the Staff Sergeant lately. And ask if they've seen him around," he added, handing them the photo of Callen taken from his personnel file. Dom nodded and made to leave, but Deeks looked at Sam quizzically. As if reading his mind, Sam continued. "I want Kensi to help Eric and Nell dig into Campbell's financials and find out where that $50,000 came from. Looks like she's already got a head start," he nodded toward Kensi's computer, then directed his next words to her. "Cross everything with these aliases. We might get lucky." He looked like he didn't believe a word of it as he said it, but Kensi nodded and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"I've got a date with Hetty and the Director," he grumbled, and turned and walked up to the OPS center. A few seconds later, Eric and Nell came down the stairs, looking very put out.

"They kicked us out! How am I supposed to do anything when I can't even work in my element?"

Kensi stifled a laugh and saw Nell do the same. "You want to ask Hetty that?"

Eric's face dropped. "Well…er…I can always use a computer down here. So what have you guys found so far?"

"Not much," she said, sitting back down at the table with the others. "So, you were both here when Callen was team leader, right?"

"Yeah," Eric stated, and he shook his head. "He was a good agent. Always kind of a lone wolf, but he had your back when you needed him. I couldn't believe it when he killed Durke. I guess you just never know."

Nell nodded and continued for him. "I didn't really know him. I just knew _of_ him. A lot of the people down in records were never really sure about him. He must have been a pretty good operator to have Hetty fooled."

Eric looked at Nell like she had just said every cuss word in the book, and quickly swiveled in his chair, glancing up at the balcony. Kensi raised an eyebrow quizzically at his reaction.

"Keep it down! Nell, never _ever_ say 'Hetty' and 'fooled' in the same sentence, because somehow she will hear you. Nothing ever gets past Hetty."

"Well, Callen did," Nell stated matter-of-factly, but quickly stopped at Eric's expression. "Okay, okay, sorry," she said in a low voice.

Kensi smiled automatically but she felt no closer to unraveling Callen than she had before she'd met him.

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><p>The pier was always a perfect place to go to blend into the crowd. Becoming just another person wandering around by the sea gave Kensi the perfect opportunity to think and the combined sounds of the waves and people passing by cleared her mind. Kensi leaned against the worn wooden railings and watched the sun toss orange and red flames onto the water. After a moment, she could tell someone was behind her, and it didn't take long to find out who it was.<p>

"Nice spot."

Knowing exactly who would have found her here, she didn't bother looking over at him as he copied her stance and leaned against the pier. "You just love making an entrance, don't you? Couldn't have let me know when we were meeting up again?"

"Hm, wouldn't have the same effect," Callen answered cheekily, looking off at the sunset. Kensi felt her face soften and almost smiled. She wondered at how easy it was to act like there was nothing wrong with working with this man when she had good evidence that he was by all means a traitor and murderer.

"Look, if we're going to…_work_ _together_, we have to set a few things straight," she stated, watching as the dying sunlight threw shadows across his face. He turned to look at her and she was again struck by his eyes, now a deep blue in the fading light. He raised an eyebrow and she continued. "We both know I'm risking more than just my job by doing this. Now because you have information on my father, and if what you say about the breach in NCIS is true, I'm going to keep our deal to myself." Kensi considered mentioning the Staff Sergeant, but decided against it. He knew that they found the body, but he didn't know they suspected him. She would go through this little exercise of his, find her father's killer, and all the while get enough evidence on Callen to close the Staff Sergeant's case. Still, she couldn't help throwing in a small warning. "If you give me any reason to think you will run or that you are tricking me, you will be in jail before you get the chance to disappear."

Kensi expected a mocking look from him, but was surprised when he merely nodded, keeping his eyes locked with hers. Blaming the shiver down her spine on the wind, she stood straight and adopted a less menacing tone. "So, why _did_ you follow me here?"

"I'm taking you out on a date, Agent Blye."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone**

**Sorry about the delay on this one. I keep going back and futzing with the story as I write it, so I've been afraid to post much, but here is a new one to tie you over for a while! This story was meant to be a filler for the long break of summer, but new episodes are starting NEXT WEEK so I missed my own deadline a bit. Oh well. Once again, thank you for all the reviews, they are MUCH appreciated. And evershort, this ones for you 'cause you called my bluff! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. CBS and Shane Brennan do, so I just have to live vicariously through them. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>"Boy, you sure know how to treat a girl."<em>

"Come on, I bought you a Double-Double. That has to count for something," Callen stated, putting down his night vision binoculars long enough to take a bite from the oozing burger in his other hand.

Kensi snorted as she set her own meal down and followed his gaze. The stately house they had parked near was immaculate from what she could see in the dim light, with detailed landscaping and, most importantly, a twelve foot high wrought iron gate. Of all the things Kensi had expected to do today, a stakeout with G Callen was not exactly one of them.

Kensi had been a little surprised when Callen took her to his car. For having hidden so long, she thought Callen would have something a little more inconspicuous. But in L.A., inconspicuous was a relative term, and she supposed that a candy apple red Mustang wasn't the _most_ obvious car he could have chosen. And with all the money he was probably making being a paid mercenary, he could easily afford it. Kensi forced herself to drop the thought in hopes of self-preservation more than anything and tried to focus on the case at hand. But one nagging thought broke into her mind.

"Why didn't you check me for another gun?"

"What?"

"Last night. You knew I had a back-up. Why did you let me keep it?"

Callen didn't say anything for a moment, but he looked impressed. Kensi should have known something was up when that impressed look was quickly replaced. "Well, I'm flattered that you're so worried about it. If you'd like, I'd be more than happy to fully search you next time."

Kensi's mouth dropped open. Now that was the last thing she thought he would answer and was successful in avoiding her answer. She quickly closed her mouth again. The thought of Callen's hands searching her body sent heat rushing to her cheeks and she looked down, thankful for the wave of hair that hid her face from his knowing eyes. Finally, after a quick clear of her throat, she was ready to get back on track.

"So, are you going to tell me who we are staking out?" she asked as she reached across the console and grabbed the binoculars from his lap. She felt the top of her head brush his chin and he stiffened almost imperceptibly, but she noticed. Leaning back quickly, she felt strangely satisfied. She wasn't the only one able to be affected.

Whatever his body may have given away, his voice covered well. "Our good ex-Colonel James Barden."

Kensi sighed. "There you go again with him. Are you going to tell me why we are staking out Barden?"

Callen nodded. "We are staking him out because we need to get into his house."

"_Okay_," she huffed, trying to keep her frustration at his vagueness in check, "I take it you don't have to mysteriously leave this time, so feel free to explain before I just blindly follow. He's practically a poster boy for the Marine Corps; ex-Colonel turns owner of the largest contracted security company in Iraq turns Senate candidate?"

"That's exactly why he gets away with it. Back when he was in the Corps, he was just starting up his operation." He reached down and grabbed a file next to Kensi's seat, brushing her leg in the process. She gasped sharply but quietly as he dug through the folder and withdrew a picture. Hoping for a reprieve from the sudden heat in the car, Kensi cracked her window as she grabbed the photo held out for her.

"What is this?"

Callen hesitated for a moment and she looked up at him. "The photo that probably got your father killed. I'm sure you recognize Barden there," he continued, not giving her a chance to react to his first statement, for which she was grateful. There would be a time to reflect on the pain of her father's death later.

"And this man?" she asked, pointing at a man with a black mustache and a fierce looking face. Barden looked exactly as he had the last time she saw him, which meant the picture must have been from the same time of her father's death. It was obvious the two men did not know they were being photographed, but were definitely up to something suspicious.

"Danvor Buric," Callen answered, glancing at her before looking back at Barden's house. "He was with a group of Bosnian Serb extremists. He wasn't very happy when the war ended and was ready to take it out on anyone he could find. Barden there fed him information on a team of Marines that were being sent in to recover captured NATO pilots in Bosnia."

"I never heard anything about that," Kensi murmured, placing the photo down and turning instead to Callen.

"Well, luckily the Air Force sent in some artillery before the Marines came to clear the way. They got the pilots back and avoided a major conflict. But this photo," he stated, tapping the picture on her leg, "this photo would have changed everything for Barden back then."

"And my father?"

"Whether Barden approached him to join up or he noticed something was wrong, your dad caught on to him. He was going to turn Barden in, but he wasn't sure who to trust. Barden was a high ranking officer at Pendleton and your father wanted to make sure this picture and his information got into the right hands."

"But he didn't," Kensi said quietly.

"No," Callen continued, looking at her once more. "He told one other person about Barden, someone he thought he could trust. Together they contacted the CIA with their information. The night he was killed, your father was going to a meet with the agent. Unfortunately, the man your father had trusted was in on it with Barden and handed your father over to him. I'm sure you know the rest."

"He said he was going out with his friends," Kensi whispered, fighting the tears in her voice. She had spent so much time searching for information about her father's death, and now that she had it, she felt strangely hollow. She thought she would be relieved, happy even…anything but empty. But now that everything she thought she knew about her father's death was a lie, there was nothing.

Kensi hadn't noticed how long the silence had stretched in the car until she felt Callen's hand on her arm. She met his eyes and saw the question in them that remained unvoiced, but was no less clear. It was strange how safe she felt with Callen, regardless of what she knew about him. And something as simple as his hand on her arm helped her force down the sickness of grief and focus.

"I'm fine," she stated, pulling her arm away to wipe at her eyes quickly. They both knew that she was anything but, although she doubted Callen knew just how far off her statement was. The revelation of her father's death added to the fact that they were only feet away from his killer was gnawing at her insides like a twisted disease. And it didn't help that she was trying to unravel the man beside her at the same time. But being an agent gave Kensi an amazing ability to compartmentalize, which she used to her full advantage.

"How are we getting into the house?" Kensi asked, willing and ready to kick down the bastard's door and storm in right then. As if sensing her thoughts, Callen turned the key and the engine roared to life. Kensi looked at him quizzically when he shifted into drive and rolled down the street, away from Barden's home.

"Not just yet. Since your father's death, Barden has gotten very good at covering his tracks. He left the Marines shortly after with the pressure of your father's investigation. He got smart and started getting others to do his dirty work. That way he would never be caught like that," he motioned to the photo, "again."

"How does he get these people to just betray their country?" she asked angrily, allowing the pent up frustration with herself, Barden, and Callen to spill over the tipping point.

He glanced at her as they stopped at a red light. "There's intimidation and there's blackmail. But the most common is the usual motivator; money."

"Is that why you did it?"

She stared expectantly at him until the light turned green, but he remained quiet. Even with her limited experience with Callen, she knew there would be no more from him. She would just have to find out on her own. Instead of pushing him, she decided on something else. "So, how are we getting into Barden's house? And, more importantly, why?"

"When you have dozens of people working under you, you've got to keep track, right? He keeps an encrypted laptop with all of his files. That's what we want."

"And the _how_?"

Callen pulled up in front of Kensi's house and put the car in park. "The how is tomorrow's lesson."

Rolling her eyes, Kensi unbuckled her seat belt but didn't open the door. "So, should I be expecting another surprise entrance, too?"

Her question caused the corners of Callen's mouth to turn up slightly, and Kensi realized it was the first time she'd ever seen him smile. It wasn't much (more of a smirk), but it looked good on him. He answered her by ripping a corner of the folder off and scratching down a phone number on it. "In case you need to reach me."

Kensi took it from his hand and stepped out of the car. Leaning back into the window, she asked "Don't you want mine?"

That cocky look was back in his dark blue eyes as he answered. "Already have it." And despite the day she'd had, she couldn't help but smile slightly as he drove away.

_Of course he does._


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! **

**Once again, thank you for all the great reviews! I've got good news (at least what I consider good news) and bad news. Bad news is I've made you guys wait a long time for this update, and for that I'm sorry. But the good news is that I have actually been productive and gotten farther writing, I've just been a little iffy on posting chapters due to my non-stop tweaking of the storyline. But all that is pretty much over now, so updates are going to be a lot faster, I promise! **

**That said, anybody see this weeks episode? I wasn't crazy about Hunter, but at least her meddling brought on some of the best Callen/Kensi interaction since Season 1. And Sam and Deeks together? Priceless. The crazy fan-girl inside me hopes these new partnerships last a couple more weeks, but the rational person tells that girl to get wise, sit down, and shut up. :P**

**Enjoy the story and review if you'd like! **

**Disclaimer - I don't own it. **

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><p>Kensi was exhausted, both mentally and physically. After replaying every word she had been told the night before a million times, there had been no room for sleep. So she had once again gone to OPS early and had a few rounds with the boxing bag.<p>

Maybe it had been the shock of hearing the truth about her dad's death that kept her from thinking about how Callen tied into all of this, or maybe she just hadn't wanted to know. Either way, she found herself determined to figure it out. Why was it so important to him to get Barden? Was he competition to Callen? After all, how many people can steal the same government secrets and sell them? Or was it something else? Whatever it was, she was willing to turn a blind eye to it until she knew more about his plan at the very least. Not that that idea kept the issue from clogging her mind.

It was half past eight before Kensi cleaned herself up and went out to the bullpen. Dom was already there, pouring over manuals and operating procedures. She could hear Sam's voice talking on the phone, standing in the hallway to the left. And if her calculations were correct, Deeks would be arriving any minute, looking like he just rolled out of bed.

"Ughhhh, why are these mornings so early?"

Kensi stifled a laugh as Deeks threw himself into his chair and leaned back, face toward the ceiling. "I'm pretty sure that's why they call them _mornings_, Deeks."

There was an indefinite mumble in response and Kensi just shook her head as she watched Sam end his call and come towards them. Seeing nothing but the back of his eyelids, Deeks had no idea that Sam was behind him until the team lead pulled the back of his chair, sending the blonde detective flailing for a support.

"Wake up, Deeks. It's gonna be a long day."

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><p>"We've been over this a hundred times, Sam."<p>

"And we're going to go over it again."

Kensi leaned forward and tossed Campbell's record back on the table. She understood the team's frustration, as she was fed up herself, only for very different reasons than the others. The one thing they all had in common was that their frustration stemmed from Callen.

Every time Kensi had been with him, he made it difficult for her to hate him. She knew next to nothing about him, had good reason to believe that he was a cold blooded killer, yet could not bring herself to despise him like she should. It also didn't help that there was an entirely different tension between them, whether either of them wanted to acknowledge it or not. And every time she came into work, she was faced with the murder they were supposed to be solving. The murder that Callen's fingerprints had been found at… the murder that he had not so much as mentioned since they had met.

"What about the ex-wife?" Deeks asked, turning Kensi's attention back to the job at hand. "Did she know anything about the cash or will?"

"According to the ex, she had no idea that Campbell even had a will. And as far as the cash goes, no luck on that either," Dom responded, sifting through papers absently. "There is no record of Campbell taking out a loan or withdrawals from any accounts. There's no sign of anything he might have been selling or anything."

"Well, the boys at Pendleton said that Campbell had been acting strangely the past few days, like something was weighing on his mind. They knew his wife was taking him for all he was worth and was having trouble paying the alimony."

"So what did our good soldier get into to make a cool fifty grand in cash?" Sam asked.

"And why did he have a signed will with the money?"

"I'm telling you," Deeks started, "it's got to be something with Callen. We just have to find him."

"Yeah, but we also need _evidence_," Kensi stated defensively.

At that moment, Sam's phone came to life and he answered it quickly. After a short conversation, he set the phone down and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands across his face.

"That was the coroner's office. The slugs pulled from the Campbell's body are from a Glock 37. Dom, let's go talk to Rose. Maybe she can give us a little more to go off of." Sam stood, throwing a questioning look at Kensi, and started for the door, not waiting for Dom to follow along at his heels.

"Just because they're not from a Sig doesn't mean it wasn't Callen," Deeks muttered after they left. "I mean, are we really expecting him to keep the same gun for two years?"

Kensi couldn't believe how narrow-minded Deeks was being. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean that he is the only person who could buy a Glock 37. There are probably hundreds of those floating around this city," she stated, with maybe a little too much frustration showing through, which Deeks picked up on.

"But," Deeks protested, voice rising to match the tone of her own, "none of those other people had a _fingerprint_ at the scene."

"Why are you so quick to blame him?"

"Why are you so quick to defend him?" Deeks shot back.

Kensi knew she had taken the argument too far and had to back off before too much damage was done. The last thing she needed was her team, especially Deeks, getting suspicious of her. So she forced herself to bury her personal thoughts and settled on telling him that she simply wanted to make sure they got the right person and didn't limit themselves with past knowledge. This seemed to satisfy Deeks, but something told her he didn't completely buy it.

A chirp from her cell phone didn't give her time to reflect on Deeks or his reaction. After digging it out of her pocket, she found one simple message.

_Next lesson. 333 South Hope St. Noon._

Kensi snuck a quick glance at Deeks, who had gone back to sifting through paperwork, before standing up. "I'm going for lunch. You want something?"

Deeks looked up from his papers suspiciously. "Who was that?"

"Do you want something or not?" Kensi asked, being sure to keep any kind of deception from her voice. After a momentary stare down, Deeks conceded.

"If you're talking about those nasty gas station burritos, then no thanks. I have higher standards than that."

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><p><strong>Kind of short, I know. I toyed with the idea of combining the next chapter with this one, but figured they'd be better seperate. Anyway, hope you enjoyed and more is on the way. <strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys!**

**Thank you all for being your usual awesome selves and reviewing! It means a lot that you take time to read and then tell me what you think. So here's a new chapter for you - this one is going to set up the story a little more. And I still do not own it. **

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><p>After checking her text message for the third time, Kensi realized she did, in fact, have the right address. Maybe Callen had spent a little too much time in foreign countries and forgot just what was at 333 South Hope. While the thought had crossed her mind, she knew a man like Callen couldn't survive off the grid as long as he had without knowing the city he was in intimately.<p>

As if to confirm her thought, she spotted him sitting on a bench near the market. He made no indication that he had noticed her, just gazed at the crowd and allowed himself to be enveloped by it. Kensi took the rare opportunity to just watch him. Faded denim jeans accompanied a black suit jacket and blue shirt, arms crossed over his chest. His brilliant blue eyes were hiding behind dark sunglasses, and she knew he was looking out for her. She wondered how he managed to look so calm when he was wanted by almost every federal agency in the United States.

Kensi couldn't pass up the chance to get one up on Callen, and quickly made her way around the market to get behind him. When she was only a few feet behind him, she put out her arm and tapped his shoulder. He turned quickly and she knew she'd got him. She was just glad he hadn't drawn his gun.

"Reflexes have slowed down since your agent days, huh?" she ribbed, setting herself down beside him.

"Spotted you a mile away," he stated, smirk fixed firmly on his face.

"Hah, I doubt that."

"Believe me, you're hard to miss," he responded and she laughed. After a moment of comfortable silence, she spoke.

"So, are you going to tell me why you wanted to meet at a corporate tower?"

"Barden is holding a little campaign fundraiser for his Senate run next weekend, invitation only. You saw the security last night, and this is the best in we have. If we can get through to his office during that party, we can take his files and out his entire network."

"And how are we going to get an invitation?"

"That's where I need you. Just in time," he added, nodding to a black SUV that had just pulled in front of the bank tower, out of which Barden's company headquartered. One man got out of the back seat and another from the passenger side. Clearly they were bodyguards, and they remained by the sides of the empty vehicle, waiting for their passenger to emerge from the building.

"Are you okay with this?" Callen asked, forcing her attention back to him. She nodded, drawing in a breath.

"You sure are being nice to me. Maybe there's a heart left in there somewhere?" she asked, keeping her tone teasing instead of accusing. His snort told her that she was successful.

"Not likely. Now get in there."

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><p>Trying to strategically intercept someone in a crowded building was never easy, and an armed escort didn't exactly simplify things. While Barden had enough goons at the car to fight a small war, another muscular, shaven headed man with a gun hidden expertly under his black suit jacket was following him out. She took the off moment to wonder if all bodyguards had to look like that (or if they had all watched too many Jason Statham movies) before moving in. In this situation, being direct seemed like the best idea.<p>

"Colonel Barden?

He turned slowly. His hair had greyed around the edges and he was much more out of shape than fifteen years ago, but Kensi knew it was him. She looked into the cold, dull eyes before her and fought the temporary urge to pull her gun and shoot him smack between them.

"No one has called me that in over ten years," he stated, his voice bringing back memories of her father's funeral. The son of a bitch had even given a eulogy. Not now.

"It's Kensi. Kensi Blye?" When comprehension dawned on his face, she wondered if he would be nervous at seeing her, but figured he was too arrogant and far gone to care about that. Besides, he had no reason to think she was any kind of a threat. She couldn't wait to prove him wrong.

A faux smile that matched his campaign photos appeared on his face. "It can't be. Kensi Blye? I haven't seen you since you were just a teenager."

It took a lot of concentration to keep her smile from becoming a grimace as he moved forward and grabbed her hand. "I know! It's so good to see you!"

"How have you been?"

Kensi adopted her sweetest tone before answering. "I'm good. This is so strange, I was just thinking about you the other day!"

"Really?"

"I saw one of your commercials! Running for Senate? That's wonderful!"

She mentally scoffed at his attempt of humility. "Well, we hope we can do some good," he stated, sounding more like his advertisement than a human being. Kensi knew a brush off when she saw one, so decided to try another tactic.

"Of course you will. You were so good to me after my father died. Actually, I've been wanting to talk to someone about that," she said quietly, watching his reaction. His poised exterior was in place, but her trained senses picked up on his apprehension.

"Really?

Kensi nodded as Barden's guard muttered something into his ear, and he nodded in response. "I'm so sorry to cut this short, but I need to be going."

"Oh, that's okay. I understand," she stated, trying to muster enough disappointment to be convincing. "I wish we had more time to talk."

"Listen, we're having an event at my home next weekend, just something for my supporters. I'd be happy for you to come."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly, sir."

"Of course you can. It's black tie, so bring a friend. I assume someone's taken a beautiful woman like you off the market?"

Kensi let out a laugh that sounded strained to her own ears. "Not yet. Are you sure it would be alright?"

"Yes, of course. Just leave an address with my receptionist, and we'll get an invitation out to you. I really must be going."

It almost seemed too easy, but Kensi wasn't one to spoil a good thing. So after thanking Barden profusely, she left the address of a PO Box she kept with the young blonde at the counter and watched Barden and his guards leave. She waited a few moments, long enough for the car to go, then left the tower building and crossed back to where she had left Callen. The bench was empty and she wondered if he had pulled another disappearing act. At that point, it wouldn't surprise her. Suddenly, she heard his voice, only not quite as she knew it, and turned to find him.

For the first time, she saw Callen without his usual calm exterior. His jaw was set at a hard angle as his hand gripped his phone tightly. And while she couldn't understand what he was saying, she did understand his tone. He was pissed off at something. Callen turned suddenly, and although his glasses were still in place, she could feel his gaze boring into her own.

"Я не принимать заказы от вас, Николай. Я сказал вам, я бы справиться с этим, и я буду."

"Old friend?" she asked as he snapped his phone shut. When he answered, his voice had its usual calm edge and she couldn't help the feeling of disappointment that crept up.

"Something like that. Where'd you get with Barden?"

"I got his attention when I mentioned my father's death," she started, falling into step with Callen as they walked through the market. "We've been officially invited to the 'big event'," she muttered, using air quotations.

"Hm, I guess I'll have to buy a tux," he stated dryly.

Kensi laughed. "And who says I'm bringing you?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him. He matched her expression and smirked, but his eyes told her something was bothering him. "What was that, on the phone?"

"Worried about me, Agent Blye?"

She didn't smile, only tried to read something in his eyes. When that did not work, she asked "Should I be?"

A corner of mouth twitched as he looked at her. "No. You should go. Your partner might get suspicious."

He was right, of course, but that didn't stop her from fixing him with a stern look as they parted behind some of the vendor stands. Kensi made it a few steps before turning back to him. "Why did you do it?" Callen stopped and turned. "Why did you kill Staff Sergeant Greg Campbell?"

She knew there were people around, and she knew that this wasn't the best place to have it out, but she did not care. She watched his body language as he came back toward her, wishing he didn't have those damn glasses on and she could try to see something within his blue eyes.

"I thought we had an agreement," he stated, pulling off his glasses as though making his point clear.

"Was it for the money, Callen? Did you pay him $50,000 to give you information? Or was he going to turn you in?" she continued, pushing at his buttons. "What was it, Callen?"

Kensi was so busy watching his eyes for any change of emotion that she didn't notice how far she had retreated from Callen until her back hit the cool wood of a vendor stand. That didn't stop his advance and she wouldn't back down, so she matched his gaze head on. She could smell his coffee and a faint hint of gunpowder as he leaned in toward her, and she fought to keep both her breathing and their stare-down under control.

When he spoke, his voice was as icy as the look in his eyes. "Believe what you like." His gaze fell to her lips and an involuntary shudder shot down her spine. "This is not about me." And with that, he replaced his glasses and stalked away into the faceless crowd.

As Kensi walked back to her car, she tried to make peace between the two feuding sides of her mind; the one that just wanted to get the job done and the one that wanted to figure Callen out. She'd crossed that invisible barrier between the two of them, and she knew it. Somewhere along the line, whether it was when she agreed to help him or when he told her about his plan, they had made a pact. She wouldn't ask and he wouldn't tell. But somewhere, somehow, the pieces didn't fit. There was so much she didn't know, so much that could be dangerous later on.

Despite passing it off earlier, she found herself coming back to the question of why Callen was so determined to get Barden that he would risk his own safety from NCIS to do it. She'd considered the possible answers a million times, and every time she came up with more ideas. Was it personal? Did he want to kill Barden? Was he only using her for some sort of ulterior motive, and had no intention of helping her get her own revenge on him? Was she walking into a trap? Kensi forced herself to put a stop to those thoughts. What little she did know about Callen told her that he was a good person. Call it instincts gained from the job, but she just felt that he was, no matter how much he let her think otherwise. But she would never know until she knew more about Callen, his friends on the phone, and how Staff Sergeant Campbell fit into the whole damn thing. After all, she had promised to keep him a secret to NCIS, but not to herself.

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><p><strong>Random and useless little fact - 333 South Hope is the Bank of America TowerPlaza in LA (so far as Google tells me). Seems like the kind of place a guy like Barden would have his corporate headquarters. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone - **

**So I thought I posted this last week, but apparently I never actually put it into the story! Chalk another one up to my brain rebelling...anyway, here it is, a little suspicious team + some cryptic Hetty makes this a chapter. Thanks again for all the reviews, they mean a lot. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own, or profit from, NCIS: Los Angeles. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Driving down the street you lived on was supposed to be a good experience - comforting even. But to Kensi, it never worked that way. The drive down her street consisted of checking cars, people walking down the sidewalks, and anything else that could mean her own home was compromised. Usually, there was nothing to see; but tonight, in the low light thrown off by the overhanging streetlamps, there was finally something.<p>

Maybe she'd been wrong to stay away from OPS that afternoon. After the conversation with Barden and the confrontation with Callen, she'd needed time to think. Looking back, she knew Deeks didn't buy her line about running down a lead on the cash, but didn't think he'd come to this.

"What's the occasion?"

Deeks slowly stood from his place on her step as she walked up the path. Although she kept her tone and expression light, he didn't bother to match hers.

"Find anything on Callen?"

Kensi feigned disappointment and shook her head. "It was a dead end."

Deeks didn't respond, but Kensi could feel him watching her closely. "What is going on, Kensi?" The worry in his voice was hard to miss, but she maintained her attitude and donned a confused expression.

"What do you mean?" she asked, stepping around him to unlock her door.

"You've been acting kind of weird this week," he stated. Kensi couldn't find any tone of accusation in his voice, so decided to lighten the mood.

"Pot calling the kettle black," she muttered, unlocking the door. She didn't even bother to tell him off when he followed her inside and shut it with a snap.

"Yeah, I get it. Ha ha. Seriously though, is there something I should know about?"

"No, Deeks. Why would I hide something from you?"

He looked like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it and closed his mouth. For once, Kensi was grateful for her reputation of being a pusher – get too close, too personal, and she would only work to get farther away. Deeks knew this better than most people and gave her space. But she knew it wouldn't last long and damned the fallout that would come when he stopped.

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><p>It had been two days since Callen had contacted her, and by that evening Kensi decided she'd waited long enough for things to simply turn up. So she took the burn number of Callen's phone and ran it on her laptop while alone in the bullpen. While she could not retrieve his call logs or actively trace him, she could find out where he was if she could get him on his phone.<p>

It rang three times before there was an answer.

"Yeah?"

"Well hello to you, too," she stated, starting the trace after a cursory glance around. Talking to him in the middle of OPS was less than ideal, but it was the only place Kensi had the equipment she needed.

"Excuse me. It's been a while since I've had to have manners," he panned. There was a clinking of glasses and some muffled talking beyond his voice. She could almost picture him sitting in a dark bar somewhere, his brooding gaze staring at some target of his with a drink in his hand. Probably whiskey. She realized that she'd let the silence stretch too long when he continued. "Is there a reason you called, or did you just miss my voice?"

Kensi couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips as she responded, glad that the conversation in the market hadn't changed his attitude toward her (not outwardly, at least). "Oh, you've got me. Actually, I was wondering if we were going to discuss getting into the office on Saturday, or if you plan on winging it. As you said, there are armed guards and security systems." She paused, chiding herself for looking over her shoulder again. She felt like a kid about to be caught with the last cookie, and settled her nerves by watching as the GPS zeroed in on him. "Kind of seems like something we should go over."

He exhaled audibly. "Yeah, I suppose it is. I'll get back to you, okay?"

The search had found its mark and she winced as the computer let out a faint beep. She knew he would have to have bionic hearing to have heard it, but worried all the same. After this little 'mission', she'd be lucky if any of her nerves were intact.

She answered with a short 'okay' before the line went dead.

After the trace had pinned Callen at an address not far from the OPS center, Kensi had one more problem to deal with. And she knew it would be just as hard as her night would be.

"Sometimes, I'm glad I don't deal with LAPD's cases anymore," Deeks muttered, walking into the bullpen and sitting down. "Did you hear about the car bomb downtown? Makes looking for a disgraced undercover agent look downright civilized. Find anything?" he asked, eyeing her laptop suspiciously. Kensi closed it with a snap, putting it into her bag.

"Not yet," she sighed, standing up. His gaze followed her as she threw her bag over her shoulder and tossed some papers around. "I'm going to Pendleton," she lied, hoping her tone would be enough to convince him. "Maybe some of my friends will have information on Campbell that the others weren't willing to give."

"I'll come with you."

"No," she said, keeping the insistence out of her voice and replacing it with a teasing edge. Their conversations always worked better that way. "I don't think they'd even let you on the base, looking like that."

"Why not?" he asked, using his best "kicked puppy" look that he always thought would work, but never did.

"You don't expect me to answer that, do you?" She waited a moment. She didn't know if it was doubt in his eyes or his usual mock-hurt, but finally he shook his head. The conversation from the other night must have played through his mind as it had hers, but he let it go.

"Fine. Go play with your commandos," he added and she rolled her eyes. "See you tomorrow then?"

She smiled as she grabbed her keys, sending her partner a look she hoped was reassuring. "See you tomorrow."

Kensi thought she was home free as she walked toward the door. Nell stopped her for a moment, asking if they'd found anything to run for the case, but she quickly worked her way past the technical operator. Unfortunately, the delay had allowed her name to be called, and she inwardly groaned as she walked up to Hetty's desk.

"Sit down, Miss Blye."

Knowing it would be faster to just comply, she did as she was told. Despite her stature, the older woman was a menacing force and Kensi sat uncomfortably as the operations manager simply watched her.

"How is the case going?"

"Well, so far we don't have much. The Staff Sergeant was killed with a Glock 37, and with the exception of Callen's prints, there wasn't much other physical evidence." She paused as Hetty nodded and she noticed the solemn look return to the woman's eyes. "What was Callen like?"

Hetty didn't look surprised that she'd asked, but there was a question behind those thick glasses that Kensi tried to avoid. The manager took a moment to consider in her usual way, and then answered. "Mr. Callen was a great agent. He had everything required to be such; no family, no commitments, not even a name. It was what made him so good at this job."

"Didn't you wonder, though? Did you ever think he didn't do it?"

"There never was a reason to think otherwise," Hetty stated, and although her voice was neutral, Kensi could see the lie on her face. Not that she would think of calling her on it, but it made a part of her feel better just seeing it there.

Kensi nodded and stood, starting for the door once more.

"You are very much alike, you know."

Kensi turned back and raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Hetty's expression remained serious. "Callen and yourself. There are very few agents to whom the skills of this job come naturally. You are one of them; he was another."

"I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult." There was a momentary pause as Hetty fixed her with a strangely knowing gaze.

"That, dear, depends on where you stand."


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, well...here we are again. Thank you so much for all the input and the reviews, they're great! For those of you worried about the lack of Callen/Kensi moments, don't worry - we're just going to take the roundabout way of getting there! **

**Short one again, but the next one should make up for it. For reference, the italics in this chapter are being spoken in Russian - so Kensi still doesn't know what's going on. I really enjoyed writing this arc to the story, and hope you like reading it. Please enjoy and review if you'd like! **

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><p>After leaving with Hetty's cryptic message, Kensi found herself sitting in her car, looking at an old, run down bar. The outside was exactly as she had pictured it on the phone. Dingy windows sat with dirty panes, sunk into a crumbling brick facade. Definitely not a place an unsuspecting tourist or Average Joe would stop to have a few, and she doubted the patrons minded.<p>

For the second time that day, Kensi briefly wondered if she was about to be caught red-handed by the man she was about to follow. She blamed it on his reputation. Everyone saw Callen as this legendary, untouchable operator and everything she'd seen told her the same. But she'd also seen that he was working on something else and looked very preoccupied with it, if the phone calls and abrupt exits were any indication. Her own phone call to him earlier had sounded innocent enough to her, and nothing in his voice told her that he thought otherwise. So she told herself to calm down and stick to the course.

She had no idea of knowing if Callen was still in the bar or not without a GPS lock on his phone, but decided to drive around the area anyway. Because whatever Callen had done recently, he had been an agent in the past. A very _good_ agent, and as such he knew all the standard procedures and would be as discreet as possible.

Sure enough, she was two blocks down before she spotted his red Mustang parked by a curb. Circling back to the bar, she swore loudly as she spotted three men walking out the door and quickly pulled her silver crossover into the closest lot. She resisted the urge to duck in her seat as Callen strode out of the building and toward his car.

It seemed strange, almost surreal to see him calmly walking down a downtown street when no one had been able to find him for over two years. But appearances were deceiving, and Kensi wondered when Callen had last been able to walk, or even breathe, easy. After his blue shirt had disappeared around the corner, Kensi cautiously pulled out and headed the opposite way around the block.

Contrary to common sense, Los Angeles was one of the best cities to tail someone. While the streets became congested and overflowed quickly, those same problems allowed you to avoid being noticed. The quickly closing darkness also helped. While Kensi was admittedly following a lot farther back than she normally would, she could still keep an eye on Callen. Regardless of his years of experience, Kensi had confidence in her skills and was soon rolling past a seedy motel as he pulled in and parked.

After finding a secluded parking spot across the street (with a decent, albeit unspectacular, view of the building), Kensi watched as he knocked on a door at the top level. The door opened a crack and Callen entered, quickly shutting it behind him. Kensi was about to get out and look for a closer position to spy from when a thought stopped her in her tracks. _What if he…_ No. It couldn't be that, could it? _He is a man._ And like any human, he had to have those…feelings. The motel was right for it and two years on the run was a hell of a long time. _He wouldn't. Would he?_

Was he with a _woman_?

Somehow the thought both embarrassed and bothered her more than it should have, but she shook it from her head. Thinking along those lines only got her into trouble.

She didn't have to wonder long though, as ten minutes later he emerged and got back into his car. After following him back through the inner city, she realized he was going back to the bar and briefly wondered if she should have checked the motel room out instead of tailing him in circles. Maybe he knew there was a tail and was giving her the run around? Her decision proved to be right, however, when he pulled up across from the bar and was greeted by two other men.

The dim lamp they stood under threw enough light for Kensi to see their lips, but reading didn't help when you didn't know the dialect. She caught a few words and determined that these must be some more of Callen's Russian friends. The one on the right was speaking quickly and sending a fiery glare Callen's way, which he returned in kind. The other man, older than the first, shook his head vehemently and motioned to Callen. She watched as the first man's hand flicked dangerously toward his belt, where she could only guess he had a gun.

Kensi shifted in her seat and prepared to jump out of her car if need be. No matter what Callen was involved in, she couldn't have him getting shot by some Russian mobster days before her own mission was about to be green-lit. Luckily, the older man seemed to be the one in charge, and after a few more words they entered a black town car and pulled away from the building.

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><p>Kensi hated alleys.<p>

They always smelled like someone had just thrown up and there were never any good people to be found within them. The doors that opened into their dank darkness usually led to places just as bad as the alley itself. But regardless of her personal feelings on them, she found herself creeping down the damp (Why were they always _damp_?) and dark street.

There was an old light hanging above the door she was after and she paused behind a chipped wooden crate, reassured by the weight of her gun at her back. She could hear quiet voices breaking through the usual din of the Los Angeles night, and as they stopped outside the door she could hear them clearly.

"_We need to move her. Tonight. Clearly, they can get to you anywhere_," a voice she recognized as Callen's stated. A harsh voice answered.

"_You should not have brought him here, Alek. This is a mistake. We do not know this man_."

"_Quiet Nikolai_," the third, older man responded frantically. "_You saw what happened yesterday! It is because of him we are still alive. No, we will finish this tonight. We will not move her; we will kill her now and wash our hands of this_."

_"Whatever you think is best, Alek. I will take care of it,_" Kensi heard Callen say just as they disappeared into the building. Kensi scanned the area and crept closer to the building. There were no windows on the side of the factory, but she could make out the faint lines of raised skylights on the roof. She was about to look for access to them when the cold, metal barrel of a gun was pressed deeply into her back.

"Кто вы?" Kensi felt the gun dig deeper as the voice asked again, more insistent. "Кто вы?"

Placing her hands up and in front of her, she slowly spun around and faced her assailant. Another man had joined him and they were both pointing guns into her face. She knew she had no chance of taking them both at the same time, so settled on shaking her head.

The closer man's face screwed up in a glare. "Приходите," he spat and pushed her forward toward the steel door. Kensi couldn't quiet the cynical voice in her head as she walked slowly ahead.

_Well Callen, it's time to see just what kind of man you are._


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey there everyone! I'm a little late on the update, I know, but hopefully this will make up for it. It's a little longer than the other chapters, has nothing really to do with the _main_ storyline, yet is one of my own favorite chapters (it was really fun to write). I hope you enjoy! Thanks again for all the reviews, too. I love reading them! **

**Once again, italics are in Russian. Last chapter of that (I think). **

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><p>It was difficult to see where they were headed amid the maze of abandoned boxes. From the look of the factory, Kensi imagined it hadn't been used in a number of years. Whether it was a victim of the economy or outsourcing, it didn't matter; it now provided a use it was never intended for. And as much as Kensi hated it, there were far too many of these places to keep track of what happened in all of them.<p>

The dull, florescent lights barely lit the path through the rubble, but Kensi followed the man all the same. Thoughts and scenarios raced through her mind as they moved, but were silenced as the three men came into view. The second man (Nikolai, as he'd been called) was still arguing with the older one and Callen was still watching with that same hard set to his jaw.

They turned as though in slow motion as the man in front of her called out to them. Kensi tried not to watch the line of emotions flash through Callen's eyes as they lead her into the light. She instead looked to each of the other men. The older man looked surprised (but hid it well) and quickly looked from Callen to Nikolai. The latter glared at Callen and began fiercely speaking again.

"_You see, Alek? We have been followed. I told you he could not be trusted!" _There was a quick motion and Nikolai had his gun pointed at Callen's head. Kensi watched as Callen's expression changed from one of surprise to mild amusement, but deep in his eyes there was a glimpse of something that worried her; _fear. _

_"Put it down, Nikolai. You'll hurt yourself."_

_"Be quiet! I do not listen to you."_

_"But you do listen to me," _Alek responded, stepping in and waving off the men at her side. They left after handing him the gun she had carried in with her. Kensi could see the worry plainly written in his dark eyes as he held the gun and walked a circle around her. _"Do you know this woman?" _he asked, turning to Callen.

_"I do not," _Callen answered. She tried to read what was in them, but couldn't once Alek came and stood in front of her.

"_Then shoot her, if you do not know her," _Nikolai muttered as Alek rejoined them. _"Shoot her or I will shoot you."_

_"I plan to. But be patient." _Callen fixed Kensi with a chilling stare._ "She could tell us who is after you," _Callen stated, stepping out toward Kensi and bowing his head slightly. "_It would be a shame to kill her before she has the chance to speak." _He slowly walked around her as Alek had, and she jumped when he spoke in English from behind her. "Who are you?"

She wasn't sure where this set-up was going, if it was going anywhere at all. She had come to trust Callen (or as close to trust as she allowed), but wasn't completely sure that he wouldn't shoot her now that she had stumbled on something he didn't want found. All the same, she decided to go with her gut.

"Agent Blye, NCIS," she gritted out, glaring at him.

Callen smirked as he continued to circle her. "Well, Agent Blye, NCIS. It seems that you have picked a very bad time to do reconnaissance work." She didn't miss the double meaning in his words as he stopped in front of her. He leaned in closely, his eyes piercing and she was reminded of their conversation in the market. How long ago that all seemed. "Hang on," he breathed, so quietly she thought she imagined it.

Suddenly, the quiet of the abandoned factory became pure chaos. Callen grabbed the back of her shirt and threw her behind an old crate just as the bullets started flying. Callen must have gotten off the first shot, as Kensi could see Alek through the slats of the wood, lying on the floor and groaning in pain. Callen dove down across from her as Nikolai's shots began ricocheting off the surfaces around them.

"What the hell are you _doing_ here?"

"Me?" he hissed back, ducking as a shot came dangerously close. "What are _you_ doing here? Did you follow me?"

"You forget I'm an agent too…and a damn good one!" she nearly screamed over the noise. "You think you're the only one who can run a tail without being seen?"

Callen ran forward and fell beside her as Nikolai began yelling and kept shooting.

"Those are some friends you've got," Kensi muttered over the sound of splintering wood.

"What can I say?" Callen rose, fired two shots off, and crouched back next to her. "I'm a likeable guy." Their heads collided as they ducked in unison, and Callen quickly moved to his knees. "Move along these crates." He paused as Nikolai yelled again and the sound of shuffling feet came from their right. "And shoot to kill," he added, handing over his gun. Before she could ask what he was doing, he ran out of their makeshift shelter. She yelled after him, but heard men rushing toward her and turned to move deeper into the building.

Kensi ran between rows of crates and threw herself against one, listening as the pounding of feet came closer. She guessed that the goons from outside had found their way back in, and only hoped Callen was carrying a back-up. Her thoughts were thrown off when she heard heavy breathing around the corner. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and turned.

The burly man who had pushed her into the building was standing in her path, gun drawn. He popped off a quick shot, which flew wide to her left. She answered by putting two in his chest, and he went down with a loud thud. Kensi continued through the dark maze of trash, weaving through machines and containers all while keeping an ear on everything around her.

She could hear Nikolai calling out to Callen, and felt a wave of relief when his voice answered. The loud crack of shots filled the room once more, followed by a crashing of wood. Kensi thought of running back toward them, and quickly checked the clip in Callen's gun. _Two bullets. _

The sounds of a struggle continued as Kensi wound her way back to them. Before she could reach Callen, a shot went high and shattered the glass of an office window behind her. Another blew into the door and she took the opportunity to dive into the room, setting herself up for a shot inside the relative security it would provide. Kensi threw herself against the inner side of the doorframe and crept up to the window, peeking through its grimy pane.

"Wh…who are you?"

Kensi startled and nearly shot the owner of the voice behind her. There was fear in the woman's eyes as the gun remained pointed directly at her head, and she crouched further into the corner of the dingy office. Kensi quickly lowered her gun and ran over to the woman. She had a zip tie around her wrists and the agent could make out bruises on her arms in the dim light.

Before Kensi could respond to her question, footfalls outside the door brought her attention back to her pursuer. "I'm here to help," Kensi stated, not knowing if that was the full truth or not, but knowing she would do everything she could to follow through. The words seemed to relieve the woman and tears began falling rapidly from her eyes.

After asking if she was okay and receiving a tearful nod, Kensi returned to the window. She could see the second goon outside the room and he was about to enter. Without a good angle on him, she put the pistol into the back waist of her jeans and stood at the ready.

His gun came first, and she used the advantage of surprise to lunge on him and try to pull it from his hands. A shot went off and smashed into the opposite wall, sending a flurry of screams up from the room's other occupant. The large man wouldn't let go easily, and jerked his arms upwards, catching her off guard. Kensi felt a sickening crack as the gun connected with her jaw, and she realized she wouldn't be able to fight his strength for it. A well placed kick aimed at his groin gave her the split second chance to get the gun from her back and fire off a shot.

Her bullet caught him in the chest and the large man went down hard, falling half out of the room and half in. Kensi cautiously stepped over his body, keeping her gun trained on him as she inched closer. Bending, she kicked the gun from his limp hand and placed two fingers on his neck. _Dead._

The sound of a final shot echoed through the building and silence fell once more. Kensi quickly grabbed the gun from the ground and went back into the office.

"Take this," she stated, cutting the tie and quickly pushing the weapon into her hands.

"I…I can't…" the woman started, fumbling with the gun. Kensi replaced it more surely in her hands before backing away.

"Yes, you can. Just stay here, I'll be back."

Kensi hurried forward, keeping her eyes and ears trained for movement. After winding her way through broken boxes and shards, she found herself near where they had started. There was a man lying on the floor, breathing deeply. She recognized Alek and looked around for one of the others. She wasn't sure who she would find, and only hoped it wouldn't be Callen lying on the ground and bleeding out.

A wave of panic hit her as the image flashed across her mind, and she quickly scanned the area. She spotted a foot sticking out from the wreckage of a shattered crate and hurried over, keeping her gun raised and her senses alert. The surrounding crates were spattered with blood, and she could feel her own blood pounding in her ears as she inched closer to finding the identity of the man.

There was a hand on her shoulder and she spun quickly, seeing nothing but the bright blue eyes of Callen.

"Easy, Kenz," he exclaimed, removing himself from her line of fire. He had a cut above his left eye, but was alive and standing in front of her. She felt an immense wave of relief that he was okay overtake her and fought the urge to throw her arms around him. Instead, she settled on lowering her gun and letting out the breath she'd been holding.

"What is going on?" she repeated, exasperation evident in every word.

Callen glanced once more at Nikolai's dead body before grabbing the gun from her hands and handing her own recovered gun back to her. She felt his gaze linger on the wound on her jaw and absently put a hand up to it. "I'll get to that. I will," he added, seeing her expression. "First we've got to find someone," he stated, putting his gun into his belt covering it with his shirt. He began walking in the wrong direction when Kensi spoke up.

"Let me guess, blonde, 40's, tied up and scared to death?"

He stopped in his tracks and faced her, surprise evident on his usually unreadable face. Kensi gave him one of his patent smirks as he stared back at her. "Where is she?"

She could tell that she should hurry, and obliged him by jogging while leading him back to the office. But there was something she needed to know before she let him near the mysterious woman she had found. When they arrived at the bullet-riddled door, Kensi put a hand on his chest to halt him. "What are you going to do to her?"

Callen threw her an impatient look and sighed. "I…_we…_are here to take her back to her husband. And we need to do it _now_," he finished, and Kensi couldn't deny the look in his eyes. She could feel his heart pounding underneath her hand and became aware that she was still touching his chest.

Withdrawing it as though she'd been burned, she broke eye contact and nodded. "What is her name?"

"Angie Redding."

She must have heard her name being said, because after a moment a blonde head popped out the door of the office, holding the gun up in her shaking hands. Kensi sent her a reassuring smile as the woman eyed Callen suspiciously.

"Angie?" she asked, hesitantly, moving forward and grabbing the gun from her hand before she could accidentally shoot someone. "Everything is okay."

The woman nodded with wide eyes and leaned against Kensi for support. Her gaze flicked from Callen to Kensi and back as she drew in a shaky breath. "Who are you people?"

Callen answered, using the same calm voice from the night he told her about her father. "Look, Angie, I know you're confused right now but I need you to move. Can you do that for me?" Her frightened eyes flicked to Kensi, who smiled once more, and she nodded. Kensi gently prodded her toward the outside door while Callen walked ahead.

Before walking out, Callen stopped and pushed the now awake and struggling Alek down with his foot. "_Dosvidanya_, _Alek_."

Kensi took a deep breath of the thick LA night air as they emerged on the other side. There were sirens in the distance and the sound of the ever living city relaxed her. A screech of tires broke her from her reprieve as a dark blue sports car flew into the lot. She was about to raise her gun when Callen put a hand on her arm. A well-dressed but disheveled man jumped out of the driver's seat and looked frantically at them.

"Oh, my god! Angie!"

"Tom!" Kensi winced when the woman's cry pierced the night as she flew from their side to her husband. "Oh, god, Tom…"

They embraced for a moment and Kensi felt like they should leave the two alone. She looked over to Callen, who seemed to want the same thing, but had to follow other plans.

"How…how can I repay you?" the man asked him, clutching his sobbing wife.

"Listen," Callen stated, ignoring the man's question and walking over to the black sedan he'd arrived in. "The police are coming. When they get here, you tell them everything about Alek and the kidnapping."

"And if they ask how they're all dead?"

"Let's just say Alek will have screwed over the wrong Iranian jihadist group," he grunted, bending down to the underside of the car and fiddling with something there. "Just tell them you got an anonymous call telling you to come alone. When you got here, the car was already burning and they were dead. Besides, our friend Alek isn't dead. Between the LAPD and the CIA, they'll be more worried with questioning him than you."

"Wait. What burning car?" Kensi asked.

"Oh yeah," he started, standing. "One more thing – back up." Kensi and the Redding's complied and Callen darted back before an explosion ripped through the night. When Kensi uncovered her face, the town car was nothing more than a ball of flame and groaning metal.

Kensi could already hear the sirens moving closer and looked at Callen incredulously. He threw her a quick glance before addressing Tom Redding once more. "And remember, stick to the blackmail and kidnapping. None of this," he motioned around with his hand "ever happened."

Redding nodded and Callen returned to Kensi's side. "Let's go."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everybody! Thanks for the great response to the last chapter - like I said, it was one of my personal favorites. You guys are great with reviews, and I love reading them. Keep 'em coming! A few things before we move on to the chapter:**

**evershort - I think the cause of your curiosity will be explained in the next chapter (just a hunch). **

**TwilightPony21 - Ditto.**

**inkspire - Way to call my next move! This will be a Callen/Kensi chapter and there's gonna be some first aid involved... **

**And with that, onto the chapter! **

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><p>Kensi's mind was reeling as she pulled onto the relatively quiet freeway. She'd followed Callen for answers and had so far been shot at, smacked with a gun, and nearly burned by an exploding car. All she got was more questions.<p>

"So, are you going to tell me what that was?"

He ignored her completely and settled on muttering to the window. "You shouldn't have been following me."

His statement only served to rile her further. "Did you just expect me _not_ to?"

"I thought you would know to keep out of things that could lose you your job," he stated. She could hear the frustration in his voice, though he didn't raise it above the tone of mild interest.

Kensi scoffed. "_Really_? _You're_ telling that to me?"

"I am," he stated, shifting in the seat next to her. She could feel his piercing blue eyes examining the side of her face. "I thought I made it clear that you should stick to focusing on Barden and not me. My business can only get you in trouble," he finished, turning away from her and looking at the blurring walls of the sound barriers along the highway.

He reminded her of Hetty, with his cryptic statements that you were just supposed to take without question. If he thought his would have the same effect, he was going to sorely disappointed.

"If you were me, would you just ignore it?" When his only response was clenching his jaw, she questioned him again. "What were you doing with those Russians?"

Callen didn't move his gaze away from his window. She thought he was ignoring her again until his low voice broke the running sound of the tires. "I think you saw most of it back there."

"And I think you told me you'd _explain_."

He sighed and shifted in his seat to face her. "Are you okay?" he asked, and she glanced over to see him looking at her jaw. _Oh, no you don't, G. Callen. Your concern won't stop this from happening._

"It's fine. Now – what is going on?"

"Okay," he conceded, and began explaining everything that had led up to this night; the Russians kidnapped Angie Redding to make Tom Redding give up a formula for experimental oil dispersing chemical worth millions. Callen got in with the Russians as a partner, but was really working with Tom Redding to get Angie back.

"Wait a second - the car bomb yesterday? That was you?"

She received an indistinct "mm-hmm" and found herself smiling at the irony. The very case Deeks mentioned that afternoon had more in common with their own case than they knew.

"So you made them think someone was after them so they'd have to trust you and show where they had her hidden?" she asked, less of a question and more of a statement for her mind to follow along.

Callen half nodded. "Alek trusted me, but Nikolai always thought something wasn't right with me."

"I wonder what made him think that?" she asked sarcastically. Callen shrugged and she let out a huff of a laugh. "So it was Tom Redding you met in that motel today?"

He looked over at her. "You really didn't hear a word of my warning, did you?" Kensi couldn't miss the tone that said he was impressed mixed in with his previous frustration that she had followed him. "I must be slipping."

"Maybe you're just rubbing off on me," she responded. "That was a pretty elaborate plan you had."

"Well, you pick up new skills when you're on the run," he stated and she had to agree. She glanced over at him as they passed under a streetlight and noticed a dark stain on his blue shirt.

"Oh my god Callen. Were you shot?"

He looked at her quizzically. "Not today." He looked down to where her gaze had rested and grimaced. "Oh. Nikolai, that bastard," he stated in way of explanation. "I should have figured he'd be one to play with knives."

Kensi ignored his passive tone and turned off the highway. She knew he wouldn't (or couldn't) go to a hospital and would probably neglect it if she left him to himself. "I should help you fix that. It could be deep."

"It'll be fine," he countered, and she rolled her eyes.

"Don't be stupid. You're coming home with me."

She knew he sensed a trap as he watched her drive down familiar streets. "If you insist," he teased, but Kensi could hear the exhaustion in his voice. She could help but smile as they fell silent once more.

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><p>Kensi flipped through her keys for a second before fitting them in the lock and opening the door. She said a silent prayer, grateful that Deeks wasn't waiting for her this time. She could just image the questions this situation would raise. She thought for a moment about the last time Callen had been in her house as he silently followed her in and she shut the door behind him. Could it really have just been earlier that week? Things seemed so much simpler then.<p>

"Go in there," she ordered, pointing toward the kitchen as she turned on the lights and went to the bathroom. She pulled an old metal box from the drawer and cracked it open, checking to see if it still contained what she needed. It passed the test and she carried it to the kitchen where Callen was standing, watching as she set the box on the table and turned the sink on to run hot. Spinning around to look at him, she saw the stain had gotten bigger since they were in the car but she wouldn't know the damage until she could see the wound.

"Take it off and sit," she added, nodding to his shirt before grabbing some towels. He raised an eyebrow at her tone and chuckled quietly before doing as she asked. Kensi kept herself busy at the sink, focusing on wetting a rag with hot water, turning around when she was finally prepared.

If she told someone she had never wondered just what he looked like under those button-down shirts, she would be lying. Kensi was in no way a modest woman, and knew there had been tension between them that didn't relate to the mission since they had met. She had caught a look in his carefully guarded eyes more than once, and knew she had given them back on occasion. She was a red-blooded female and he was a red-blooded male, and neither was new to the game. But now was not the time for games.

Kensi pulled a chair up to where he sat and took a closer look at the cut. It was right below his right shoulder and wasn't large, maybe two inches long, but deep enough to keep it bleeding. She noticed that his well-muscled chest had a large share of scars, and the latest wound would add another to the apparent collection he had going. After examining it for a moment, she decided it would need to be stitched, which was a brand of field medicine she really wasn't fond of. But Callen didn't give her any other choice, so she tentatively pushed the scalding rag against the wound to remove some blood as he let out a low hiss.

"It's not too bad," she told him as she removed the towel and rummaged through the box. "But I'm going to need to stitch it." She dug out a bottle of antiseptic and poured some on a piece of gauze.

Callen grimaced and she could feel the muscles of his chest tense up. "Whatever you say, nurse."

"Here," she said, slapping the gauze onto the wound and ignoring his wince, "hold this."

Kensi stood from her chair (hearing him mutter something about a bedside manner) and went to the cabinet above the fridge. Her liquor shelf wasn't exactly a bar, but she pulled down the strongest whiskey she had and dusted it off. "How's this?" she asked, holding the bottle forward. He looked over his shoulder and smirked at her.

"Why, Kensi Blye. You're not trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me, are you?" The glint in his eyes only confirmed her earlier forbidden thought, and a voice in her mind stated that it wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Hah, as if I'd have to get you drunk," she shot back. Callen let out a genuine laugh as he turned back around in the chair.

"It's good."

Kensi walked in front of him and took the gauze back, brushing his hand as she traded him for it. After whipping the gauze toward the trash, she reached into her first aid kit and retrieved a shining silver needle and the medical grade stitching she kept. She threaded the needle and found a lighter, putting the needle into the flame to disinfect it. Glancing at Callen, she saw a strange apprehension on his face that unsettled her. Uncapping the bottle of whiskey, she handed it over to him and watched as he readily took a large swig.

"That worried about my medical skills, Callen?"

"No. I just…hate needles."

Kensi couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. "Really? G. Callen, the super badass rogue agent of the world is afraid of _needles_?"

Callen shot her an indignant look. "I didn't say afraid. I said _hate_. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, of course not," she tried to say seriously, but knew her amusement showed through when he glared and took another pull from the bottle.

"Are you ready?" Kensi asked as she heated the needle once more. After his nod of approval, she hesitated before digging it into his chest. Kensi worked slowly, trying to keep the stitching as close together as possible. She could tell he was in pain and could only hope the whiskey would start working. After a while's silence with nothing but Callen's occasional drink, she decided she had him where he couldn't easily escape. She knew an opportunity when she saw one.

"So, a kidnapping?" she asked, pulling the stitching though once more. "Doesn't exactly sound like a case a mercenary would take on." Another stitch. "At least not the part of helping get someone _back_." Callen remained silent, his only response another drink from the bottle. "What have you _really _been doing?"

"Nothing you need to know," he muttered and she tried not to stick him even harder with the needle. She wanted to keep this conversation as civilized as she could and didn't need to give him a reason to shut her out completely.

"No. You're not going to brush me off that easily, Callen," she pushed, pausing in her work to look up at him. His mouth was set in a thin line as he carefully watched her. "We could have both been killed tonight. And it probably won't be the last time if Barden gets onto us." She paused for a moment, gauging his reaction. "Look, I know you don't trust people. I know because I don't either. But I need the truth from you. I think I deserve to know what I am risking my career – and my life – for. Don't you?"

He looked away, considering her. Not knowing if it was the whiskey or the speech that had lowered his walls, she watched as conflicting emotions played out on his face. Why did he insist on keeping her out of this? She was convinced that he had, in fact, been living a lie for a long time. Just not the lie everyone thought he'd been living.

"Please, Callen. Tell me."

His gaze snapped back to hers and she found herself captured by the look in his eyes. He didn't say so but she knew he had given in, just by that one, intense, indescribable look. Taking another drink, he motioned for her to finish her task. She did so, but not before examining him once more.

Being so close to him, she could see all the lines in his face and around his eyes; lines from a life alone and on the run. She looked at his eyes, eyes that weren't dark and hateful but bright and full of untold secrets. And although those eyes had agreed to tell her the truth, she knew his voice wouldn't find it easy to start. So she took that worry away from him and voiced the nagging thought that had been in her mind almost since she had met him.

"You never betrayed NCIS, did you?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys!**

**First off, wow. Your response to this story has shocked me in the best way possible! I really can't thank you enough for all the words of encouragement and I'm so glad you're enjoying this story. Reading your responses makes the day that much better! **

**We're getting into the backstory in this chapter, and there's just one thing I want to say before we do. I make a quick mention of Callen being with the Army Rangers before the CIA - I know this hasn't been said in the show or anywhere else, but I just can't help thinking that he was in the military at some point. First off, he carries an old standard Army-issue bag with his name on it, in a S.1. episode he said (while undercover) he was Army, and most CIA recruits are taken from the special forces of the military, like the Rangers. This is all just my speculation, but I'm hoping they bring up Callen's military past (or lack of) sometime in the show. **

**Anyway, on to the actual story! As always, CBS owns it. I don't. **

_****Hey guys, sorry this is just a repost - my computer started freaking out and I wasn't sure if the whole chapter got on here or not. So if you've already read this, don't worry - the next one will be up soon! Sorry about the confusion! **_

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><p>"<em>You never betrayed NCIS, did you?"<em>

Callen didn't look at her, only drank once more. It felt like ages while he considered her question but after a moment he shook his head slowly. Kensi felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach but trudged on, poking at this newfound weakness in his wall of silence. "And…and Durke?"

Callen looked to the ceiling and took a deep breath. "To get into that, you've got to go back a lot farther."

"Then go back."

He glanced at her once more and nodded. "I used to be with the CIA - recruited straight out of the Rangers. I was on a mission in Iraq, trying to track down a shipment of weapons that had gone missing from a military base." He paused, as though trying to find the right words. "It was a…_touchy _situation. I was sent in alone. We knew there was an American in country who was acting as the connection from the weapons to the terrorists. William Pival," he stated, and Kensi couldn't miss the disdain in his voice.

"After a few weeks, another shipment was due in. I was supposed to find out who Pival worked for. We weren't sure, but we were pretty convinced that he wasn't connected enough to run the show on his own. I'd entered the country as a Serbian national working with the terrorists, and tracked Pival down to an area outside of Baghdad. When I got there, the place was burning and bodies were found inside. The agency assumed it was Pival and closed the case when no more weapons arrived."

"What does this have to do with Barden or Dur…?"

"You wanted the whole story, didn't you?" he cut her off, and she closed her mouth. "It had nothing to do with Barden, at least not yet. Not until the case with Durke came up at NCIS did I even think about Pival again."

Kensi allowed him a pause before asking "You didn't shoot him either, did you?"

"I should have, that bastard." Callen took another drink and Kensi wondered how he was still speaking at all. "Durke had been transporting stolen information when we caught up with him. He was planning to tell us about a mole within NCIS. It was his ultimate 'get out of jail free' card, so he had us waiting until there was an ironclad deal to give him - full immunity and a ticket out of the country. I told Sam it wasn't worth it; a guy like Durke couldn't be trusted. But the rest of the team seemed to think it was worth it for the information he could give. I was looking over his papers down in records when a face I hadn't seen for almost ten years popped up, a face whose owner was dead."

"Pival?" she asked, more of a statement than a question.

Callen nodded and adjusted his position on the chair. "The photos had the man's name as Adam Davis, but I knew it was Pival. I was going to talk to Durke that night, but when I got there he was dead. The killers were still there and I barely made it out myself."

"So you knew about a mole in NCIS…" she started, trying to keep up.

"I knew because they had been the one to set me up. They must have got into my records, saw that I'd spotted Pival and knew what that could mean. The agents guarding Durke said I attacked them. They were already unconscious by the time I got there."

"Without the resources of NCIS, it took me a few months to track down Pival. When I did, he had been hiding in a run-down apartment building downtown. I found him lying in a pool of his own blood, barely breathing. He kept whispering 'The bastard finally did me too. Like Blye. Just like Blye'." Kensi stiffened at the mention of her father's name, but let him continue. "He gave up Barden's name. I took the files he had from his room and called the cops to report the body. The files were on Barden, his deals in Iraq and others that Pival had been a part of. One of the pages of the file was that picture taken by your father."

Kensi didn't notice when he had handed her the bottle, but tipped it back and let the bitter liquid burn her throat and blur her mind. This was too much, too fast but if she didn't push on she would probably never hear it.

"So Pival turned my father over to Barden."

"Yes."

Kensi took a deep breath and fought to halt the anger that surged through her. She took slight consolation in knowing that the bastard had died alone, on the run, and in shame.

"And Staff Sergeant Campbell?" she asked, gazing at the floor.

Callen frowned deeply, looking away from her. "It does no good to say that that shouldn't have happened. I took too big of a risk with Campbell, let him go too far." He paused and turned back. "Barden controls his people through his money or his information on them," he explained. "Campbell had been an easy target; money problems, desperate, and alone. And as the head of logistics at Pendleton, Barden needed him. Barden would get smuggled guns, money, drugs, anything off the pallets at Pendleton before they could be checked by anyone else, and Campbell would be paid to help and keep quiet."

"So why did he turn on Barden?"

"Call it a crisis of morality," he stated, and Kensi had to wonder how much of that crisis had been brought on by Callen himself. "I got to him through Pival's files, explained what had happened to most of Barden's 'help' when he was through with them, and told him he'd be doing himself a favor by helping me."

"Campbell wasn't a long term guy, and Barden must have thought so too. I'd been meeting with him, trying to get him to give me a list of Barden's shipments. He called me, told me he'd gotten it, and wanted to meet me right away. He sounded spooked, but I told him I'd meet him in Venice. I'm sure you know the rest."

She did, in fact, know how that night turned out for the Staff Sergeant. "Did you get the list?"

"They'd taken it. I didn't get a look at the shooters, not that it would have mattered," he said bitterly. "I didn't even remember to take the envelope with me after I'd checked it. It was a rookie mistake, and it's how you came to find out about me." He went back to simply watching her, which she figured was his end of the conversation.

After a long pause, in which most of the whiskey had been emptied from the bottle, Kensi began digging for a bandage for his arm. She needed something to do while her brain racked through all the information he had given her.

"There's just one thing I don't understand," she began, placing a fresh piece of gauze gently over where he'd been stabbed. "Why didn't you go to Sam? Or Hetty?"

"I couldn't," he stated quietly. Kensi heard a trace of sadness hidden deep in his words. "I didn't want anyone else getting caught up in this. Not even you," he said, causing her to look up from her work. "I didn't plan on you knowing my name when I was in your house that night. I almost abandoned my plan right there, but you deserved to know what I knew about your father."

"So that's why you let me believe you were doing something illegal? So I would keep my distance from you?" She wondered how it would have differed if she'd known the truth. It would have definitely gotten the team involved, and Kensi could understand why he didn't want that; Barden had a way of piling up bodies. A smaller team equaled better odds.

Callen gave her a skeptical look. "Last time I checked, blowing up Russian mobsters' cars and breaking into houses was still illegal."

His statement caused her to smile for what felt like the first time that night. She knew he had a point, but also knew that he knew what she was talking about. "But you're helping people. You let me believe you were a traitorous bastard who was selling out his own country."

"Well, I can't argue the bastard part," he teased. They fell into a short silence which was broken when Callen quietly spoke. "It was easier that way. Easier for you to lie to your team, and easier…just easier," he trailed off awkwardly.

Kensi nodded slowly and finished taping the gauze in place. "I'm glad you told me," she said quietly, slowly moving to stand up. Before she could, she felt a hand on her chin. She looked up at Callen, who was gently running his thumb over where she'd been hit during the fighting. They were so close, only inches apart, and Kensi could smell the whiskey on his breath as it tickled her face.

"This shouldn't have happened," he whispered solemnly, his finger making circles over the bruised skin. Kensi's breathing hitched as he sat there, eyes intent, not releasing her but not drawing closer. Emotions were flooding her system, ranging from panic to passion and everything in between. But suddenly his hand was gone and she drew in another breath, standing quickly to cover her brief loss of composure.

When she had finished cleaning off her table, she turned to find Callen buttoning up his shirt. She hadn't put much thought into it when she'd brought him over, but now that he was patched up, she was faced with the question of what next. After all the alcohol she'd given him, he was in no state to drive. Besides, he'd left his car by the rundown Russian mob bar. While there was nothing wrong with it, she didn't feel right putting him in a taxi and sending him away, not in his state. He tried hard not to show it, but she could see he was exhausted. That left only one option.

"You're staying here tonight."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone!**

**Thank you so much for the response to the last chapter. In all honesty, I was pretty worried about that one because Callen seemed out of character a little. I'll just blame it on the alcohol (whiskey has that chatty effect on me too!). **

**Sorry about the delay on this one. I just got done with 7 straight days of work plus school, so it's been hard finding time to get on here! I promise, the long-awaited black tie scene is coming up shortly! I hope you guys enjoy and please review (they really make my day). Happy Thanksgiving! **

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><p>Kensi groaned as she rolled over and wondered what had woken her up. It wasn't her alarm; it hadn't even gone off yet. Her phone wasn't ringing off the hook, so that couldn't be it either. Taking a deep breath, her brain recognized what the mysterious culprit was. <em>Coffee. <em>

Mind still groggy, Kensi trudged to her door and opened it. The scent of the black liquid was almost overpowering as she let her feet carry her toward it. Halfway down the hall, her mind caught up with why the smell was there in the first place and she stopped dead.

_Callen._

She had stubbornly convinced Callen that it was best for him to stay the night at her place. He'd been reluctant, but finally agreed and camped out on her couch. Kensi had laid awake for hours, going over everything that had been said by the man out in her living room. She once considered going out to check on him, but thought better of it. She didn't need him catching her watching him.

Vanity took the lead and Kensi resisted the urge to run back into her room like an embarrassed teenager caught in her pajamas. Instead, she hurriedly straitened her rumpled tank top and tried to tame her wild hair before calmly walking into the living room.

The blankets were piled on one of the cushions, folded neatly as they had been before. Kensi smiled at the sign of his military training showing through and headed for the kitchen. She didn't know if she was expecting to see him or not, but the slip of paper near the coffee and a white paper bag told her he had left.

Kensi first lifted the steaming foam cup to her lips to let some caffeine awaken her brain cells before tentatively peering into the bag. _Donuts. _It was like he read her mind. Kensi smiled before picking up the note covered in small, scratchy writing.

_Thanks for the bed. 7 on Saturday – be ready. C._

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><p>"Well, well, if it isn't my old team!"<p>

Kensi groaned and tried to bury her face further into the file she was reading. She knew that the team was really getting desperate for something more on Callen when Mike Renko showed up.

"Renko, you son of a bitch," Sam greeted, standing to shake his ex-team member's hand. The former had been off on deep cover assignments since leaving Los Angeles. "What are you doing here?"

Kensi really didn't mind Renko when he wasn't shamelessly hitting on her, which wasn't often. Sure enough, it took him all of two seconds to remind her why she hadn't really missed him. "I heard something interesting about our old boss man," he stated, eyes scanning the bullpen and landing on Kensi. "Hey," he started in a voice he must have thought was irresistible, "looking good, Kensi. You know I'm still waiting on that date you owe me."

"Funny," she bit back, "I didn't hear that hell had frozen over."

Sam laughed at Renko's soured expression and turned to the others on the team. "Deeks, Dom, this is Mike Renko." The three agents exchanged nods and handshakes.

"So what have you heard?" Dom asked, bringing them (thankfully) back to why Renko was there in the first place.

"I hear you guys got a lead on Callen. Back to dropping bodies in LA, huh?" Kensi resisted the urge to glare at him and the matter-of-fact way he stated his question.

"Looks that way," Deeks replied, glancing at his partner as though he sensed her objection. She kept her face impassive to satisfy his questioning look as they moved on.

"Huh. He comes out of years of hiding just to pop some Marine. I don't get it."

"And how did _you_ hear about it?" Kensi asked, suspicion creeping into her voice. Luckily, it was covered with just the right amount of contempt to remain unnoticed by Renko. "I thought you were on long term assignment."

"Good news travels fast," he stated evasively. When Sam fixed him with a questioning look, he gave in further. "I've been back in town for a few days. Word came up when I checked in with the big bosses and I figured you guys could use the help. I was there too, you know."

The answer seemed to satisfy Sam, but Kensi couldn't help watching Renko closely as he pulled over a chair and made himself at home. The agency was keeping Callen's case as tight-lipped as possible, so how is it that someone just threw it into a conversation when Renko checked in? Sure, he was a member of the team when Callen had been lead, but it didn't seem right. And how did he just happen to come out of a long-term cover right as his former boss resurfaced?

After the bases had been covered and Renko was as close to updated as they would allow, Kensi waited for the inevitable _'I-know-it-all'_ rant from their newest member.

"Well we know Callen's been working for any country that can afford him, right?"

"Yeah, but it's a lot of rumor. There's no actual evidence of it," Kensi argued. Renko paid it no mind and kept talking. The man sure loved the sound of his own voice.

"Well, you wouldn't get a lot of evidence with Callen, would you? He was trained, so there wouldn't bemuch physical evidence, and I doubt he started working with anyone. He always liked to go solo, with that whole 'lone wolf' complex of his."

Kensi couldn't help but snort at his tone as she aimlessly pushed around papers. Deeks looked up at her but didn't say anything. He knew that his partner had a thin line between tolerance and annoyance, and Renko seemed to dance on the latter side.

"I still think we need to look at the Staff Sergeant. We still don't know where the cash came from or what he was doing in that alley. Callen's fingerprints on the envelope could be complete coincidence," Kensi stated, trying to sound convincing in her lie. She _did _know the where and the why, but had made the promise to keep quiet. All she had left to do was find out who the real mole in NCIS was and turn her team's attention to it without getting the attention of the mole in question. But both objectives were proving to be harder than she'd hoped – the team was stuck on Callen as the killer, and Renko's pushing wasn't helping. Added to the fact that she had no idea where to start looking for the mole, and her prospects looked especially bleak.

"Really?" he asked incredulously. "You're going with coincidence? What are the odds?"

Kensi glared back at him. "It's not impossible. Besides, fingerprints alone don't mean he killed Campbell."

"We've run over Campbell's life with a fine tooth comb, Kensi," Deeks piped up beside her. "You know that Callen is the best lead we have." He shrugged back in response to her look.

"Well obviously. Look," Renko continued, "Callen probably hired him to get something off the base. Information, weapons, people – it doesn't matter. And then Campbell got cold feet, decided against it, and Callen popped him. Easy as that."

Kensi couldn't stop the wave of frustration as she blurted "You've got it all figured out then, don't you?"

The words rung through the bullpen just long enough to be noticeable. From the corner of her eye she could see Nell, who had been close to coming into the area. She now turned on her heel quietly and went back the other way. Kensi knew she was getting looks from Sam and Deeks, who would be able to notice something different about her voice. In an effort to reverse the damage, she adopted a look she hoped was indifferent.

"Thanks for the evaluation, Renko," Sam stated, sarcasm covering the concern in his voice as he watched his agent closely. "But unless you know who he's working for _now_, you're at the same dead end as we are." He paused for a moment, turning to the other two agents who had remained mostly quiet. "Why don't you guys go check in with Eric. See if he's got any hits on the airport canvases."

Dom and Deeks stood, the latter throwing a final look at his partner before following the junior agent. Renko tagged along but not before voicing his thoughts, as usual. "Good idea. No point in looking for someone who's probably in Siberia by now."

Kensi rolled her eyes at his retreating form before focusing on her boss. She didn't like the look he was giving her but knew there was no getting around this one. So she settled on a questioning expression before asking him "What?"

He didn't speak, only tried to read through her cover. She refused to be the one to break and after a moment he began with the questions. "What's going on, Kensi?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you just bit off Renko's head for putting out a plausible idea."

Kensi scoffed. "Plausible? Not if Renko said it."

Sam wasn't buying it. "You've been going against everything we bring up on this case, even though you know it's all we've got. And as much as I hate to admit it, Renko's probably right about the money _and_ why Campbell got killed."

Kensi hated the words coming out of his mouth. Callen had been his partner; they had trusted their lives in each other's hands. But here he was, standing in front of her, so ready to believe that the man he had once known was a traitor and a murderer. If Deeks had been accused, she liked to think he'd get the benefit of the doubt, at least from her.

"You can just believe it all so easily? Believe that your partner, a man you knew, was betraying his country?"

Sam stiffened at her words. "That has nothing to do with this."

"How doesn't it?" she asked, frustration getting the better of her once more. "You knew him enough to trust him with your life, didn't you? And he did the same. And then you turned your back on him."

"You have no idea what it was like," he stated, his voice dropping to a dangerously low level. Kensi sighed.

"I'm sorry, Sam. This case just isn't right. It feels like we're getting pressured into only looking in one direction," she stated, not entirely lying. She needed a reason to explain away her reactions, and settled on one that was just close enough to the truth to be convincing.

"When my father was murdered, it was like no one cared about the investigation. It was a robbery, they said, and that was it. It was like they didn't even want to look at any other explanation. If someone would have dug deeper, they…" her voice broke for a moment, "they might have gotten me a real answer." So many things were beginning to take hold in her mind now that she knew why her father had been killed and that Barden had been a part of it. With his connections, he could have easily killed the investigation. She had no way of knowing that her suspicions were correct, but the thought was like a parasite nonetheless.

Kensi took a deep breath and brought it back to her original point – their current case. "I refuse to just accept the party line and let the possible real killer go free. Maybe it _is _Callen, maybe it's not. I don't think we should jump to conclusions, that's all."

Sam's face had softened to concern, but she could see the trace of doubt and anger in his eyes. After a minute, however, he nodded his head. He knew that her father's case was a touchy subject and she didn't bring it up often. "If we had anything else, we would go with it. But we don't. I don't want to believe Callen killed him, I really don't," he said quietly, looking as though he were surprised by his own words. "But even if he _didn't _kill Campbell, he knows something. And it's our job to find him, no matter what he has or hasn't done. He broke the law, our trust, and our team, and he needs to answer for that."

Sam stood and went to join the team, but stopped short of the steps. He turned, opened his mouth and closed it again. The leader considered his agent for another moment before speaking quietly. "If you need help, you know you can come to us. We're a team," he added, nodding at her once more before climbing the stairs upwards.

Kensi sighed as she brought her hands up to her head. She knew Deeks was getting suspicious and Sam was worried, and that thought alone made her insides twist. If running around with Callen wasn't going to kill her, lying to her team just might.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey everyone! I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving!**

**First off, thank you for all the reviews. I know I say it on here all the time, but they really are appreciated. You guys rock and you know it - keep 'em coming!**

**Second - I'm going to apologize in advance for some of this chapter - I am in no way a computer person and don't pretend to be, so no the technical stuff won't be exactly accurate. But hopefully it'll serve the purpose I needed for the story! **

**Anyway, on to the chapter! Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the show or any other branded thing I mention here. **

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><p>It was late when Kensi was getting ready to pack it up for the night. Sam had gone home earlier, followed closely by Deeks and Renko. Everybody had managed to get over the episode earlier and the effect had lifted some of the visible tension from the group. Kensi did her part and projected her usual bantering self, even managing to remain civil to their newest 'team member'. But all of that paled in comparison to her next mission, the one she'd worried about for the better part of the day.<p>

"Hetty?"

The older woman's head popped up from behind her computer as Kensi walked up to her desk. She'd waited as long as she could before coming to this, but knew it was the only option. Barden _had _said black tie and almost everything elegant Kensi had ever worn belonged to NCIS and (perhaps more importantly) to the woman in front of her.

Hetty didn't speak, only watched the young agent with interest. "I need a favor," Kensi started, fiddling with the jelly bracelets on her arm. Hetty picked up on this and she abruptly stopped. _It's not that hard, just ask. _"An old friend is visiting L.A. and he wants to go to an art opening. Only problem is, he thinks _I'm _one of the artists."

Hetty nodded knowingly and continued for her. "And you need the proper attire?"

Kensi gave her a half smile and nodded. "It's kind of an upscale thing, and I really don't have anything that would work."

"Ah yes, the exclusive Los Angeles art scene. I once spent a wonderful evening with Andrew Warhol here in LA. He was so in love with Hollywood," she added, almost as an afterthought. Hetty stood and motioned for the agent to follow. She led her to the area where the clothes were kept, ready to transform the wearer into whoever they needed to be at any time. After a moment of looking, Hetty grabbed a blue dress with a high collar and held it up. "Would this be suitable?"

Kensi considered it a moment before shaking her head. She needed something a little more elegant, but didn't feel safe telling her operations manager that. "It's nice, but I don't think it'll do the trick."

Hetty put it back on the rack and dug for another one. This time, she pulled out a black and white dress, short in length but very chic. Once again, Kensi didn't think it would help her fit in at Barden's gala, so she kindly declined.

"I see," Hetty stated, placing the dress carefully back on the rack. "You need something a little more _elegant_?" At Kensi's nod, the diminutive manager stepped to the back of the makeshift closet and pulled out a black garment bag. "Perhaps this will satisfy your friend?"

Kensi pulled down the zipper as Hetty held it and gaped at what she saw. A cream colored gown was tucked inside the bag, strapless and covered in layered strips of cloth. The material was soft to the touch and Kensi tentatively felt it, knowing at once that this dress was going to be the one. Hetty seemed to gather the same from her expression.

"Ah, I see we've found a winner."

Kensi nodded. "It's perfect, Hetty. Thank you so much." Hetty nodded and turned away from the agent, but spun and faced her once more.

"Remember, Ms. Blye - ruin this dress and you can look forward to a lot of expense reports in your future."

Kensi nodded as the older woman zipped up the bag and held it out to her. She gently grabbed it, making sure not to induce the anger of its owner by folding it carefully over her arm and walking back to the bullpen. Kensi set the dress bag down and moved to her own chair, shifting files and preparing to turn off her laptop.

Her screen showed a picture of a sunset on a beach somewhere Kensi wished she could be. Just as she was picturing herself sitting on that sand, laughing along with a man who shouldn't be in her head, the screen shuddered. It returned to the picture of the beach, but something wasn't right. And she wasn't about to take chances.

She had seen Eric wander down the stairs just minutes ago and darted for the hall, looking out for him. She spotted him standing toward the end, talking to another tech. Kensi yelled out to him and led him back to her laptop, all the while trying to keep herself calm. She was being paranoid, she was sure of it.

"What's up?" Eric asked, confused at her interruption.

"I think something's wrong with my computer. It just froze up for a minute. I just wanted you to take a look at it."

"Yeah, sure," the tech responded, punching a few keys. "It's probably just an overload problem or something with the…" He trailed off as a loud beeping sounded from her laptop. "Uhm…"

Kensi peered over his shoulder, looking at a new screen that flashed codes and numbers. "What is it?"

"Someone is hacking your computer," Eric responded, frantically hitting keys. "I'm shutting off your network and building firewalls."

"Can't we just shut it down?"

More rapid keying. "If we do that, we won't find out who is running this." He paused, concentrating on his work. "This guy is good; he's running a decoy virus through three different servers and using another to hack in with."

"You can stop it, right?" Kensi asked, quickly glancing around the nearly deserted building. The nagging thought that this was involved with her 'other' case made her all the more nervous about onlookers.

"Just getting there…now." Eric sat back slightly, as if he'd just run a marathon. Kensi's heart, meanwhile, was beating as though she actually had.

"What did they get into?"

"Well, they didn't get into the NCIS database; this place would have been screaming like a banshee if they'd breached the system," he stated, sounding relieved. "It looks like they went for your computer's recent history and documents. They didn't plant anything, so I don't know what they thought they would find."

Kensi couldn't help but feel panicked about the whole situation. She had run a trace on Callen's phone from her computer. She had done a check on Barden from _her_ _computer_. And now, all of that information was in the hands of someone whose identity she didn't know. Eric spoke again, breaking her out of her worry and putting her back in the present.

"I'm tracing the IP address on the hacker now. They've got it routed through servers in Portugal and South America, but I've almost got them." Kensi listened to the constant, nerve-racking sound of the keys pinging on the keyboard until the telltale beep brought Eric out of his silence. "Wait…that can't be right…"

"What is it?"

"The IP address…it's _here_, in the building. It's someone in NCIS."

Kensi's heart plummeted as his words sunk in. Someone near them, in the building, was hacking into her computer. She'd known there was a mole in NCIS, but somehow this made it _real. _Whoever this person was, they either knew or suspected something was going on and they thought she was involved.

"They have to be cloning our address. That's the only way this would make sense," Eric stated, sounding lost and confused. Kensi, on the other hand, had another idea.

"I can't believe he did it!" Eric spun around in the chair and gave her questioning look. "I am _so _getting Deeks for this one…and Dom, too. Deeks probably made him help with it."

"What do you mean?"

"Deeks found out that I keep a journal on my computer," Kensi lied, shaking her head. "He told me he would find a way to get into it. I just didn't think he'd take it this far."

Eric seemed doubtful and turned back to the computer. "I don't think he could have…"

"I know he can't, but he probably convinced one of the other techs to help him. I am so getting him back for this."

"I should probably log that it happened, though," he continued and Kensi tried not to let her exasperation show through.

"Don't worry about it," she stated. Kensi hated it, but she had to dig deeper into her lie to keep everyone, including herself and Callen, safe. "I don't want him to know I'm onto him. Don't tell anyone."

Eric looked unsure, but was well aware that stranger things had happened in their workplace. After reassuring him that she knew it was Deeks and pressing him to keep quiet, she managed to send Eric back to the other techs and maintain a calm exterior that belayed her internal panic. Whoever was working with Barden was getting suspicious and the gala was the next evening. They would finally get the information to take Barden down, but somewhere deep inside Kensi wondered if she might just be wandering into a trap.

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><p><strong>I love Hetty's obscure refernces to famous people, don't you? I was trying to find someone to use and stumbled on Andy Warhol saying "I love Los Angeles. I love Hollywood. They're so beautiful. Everything's plastic, but I love plastic." so I figured he'd do! I can see that happening to Hetty in the 60's! :P<strong>

**Also (if anyone is curious) there is an actual dress that I used for a description of Kensi's dress. Here's the website if you wanna check it out (I'm a visual person and like having pictures!) : Just put in the www. and then jovani and then .com/evening-dresses/171968-9473 -**** For some reason I can't actually write the url on here. Hm. (As a formality, I'll just say that I don't own it and don't profit at all from promoting them.)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for the response on the last chapter! Your reviews are great and always appreciated. **

**This update is coming quick because it is a _really _short chapter. I kind of feel evil for only updating with this but the next chapter has a lot of stuff going on so I wanted to keep them separate. Anyways, please enjoy and review! **

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><p>Usually, Saturday mornings were dedicated to doing the laundry and attempting to organize an impossibly large stash of random stuff. They were for relaxing and unwinding after the long and almost always stressful week of work. But there was no room for relaxation this Saturday as Kensi's moods ranged from panic to anticipation, excitement to apprehension.<p>

She had wanted desperately to call Callen and tell him about the hacking on her laptop, but thought better of it. She had no way of knowing for sure if it was the work of the mole in NCIS but it was the only answer that made sense. She knew he would want to know either way but couldn't bring herself to call him. For one, her phone could also be compromised and she didn't want Callen being exposed because of her. But more importantly, she didn't want to give Callen any reason to quit the plan they already had going. After their long conversation on that long and emotionally taxing night, she knew he would see this latest intrusion as the final straw and pull the plug on her involvement. But she was too far in now to let him do this alone – she would tell him later, when it was impossible to keep it a secret.

So she waited, waited, and waited, watching as the hours slowly ticked by. After she had worn her carpet thin by moving through the rooms so many times, restless, she laid the dress Hetty had borrowed her out on her bed. It really was beautiful, and Kensi couldn't help but wonder if Callen would like it. She mentally shook her head, condemning this new insecure attitude she had concerning his thoughts and went to the bathroom to shower.

The warm water had its patent calming effect, but to a lesser degree than usual. Knowing it wouldn't help her any further by staying, she shut off the faucet and stepped out, wrapping a warm towel around her. The dress stayed on her bed, as Kensi knew if there was any kind of mark or mess on it she would have more explaining to do to Hetty than she cared for. So she dried her hair, pinning it up into a more elegant style and applied her makeup.

The fabric of the dress was like silk and Kensi slid into it, relishing the feel against her skin. Hetty always did have the best taste and the cream colored dress was no different. Kensi was putting on a pair of dangling diamond earrings just as she heard her front door creak open. Instead of worrying, she continued in her business until there was a soft knock on the doorframe behind her. After all, it could only be one person.

Kensi turned her head to find Callen standing outside her door, gazing at her. He'd managed to find a tux after all, and she noted that he wore it well. He hadn't shaved the ever present stubble on his face, but it only made him look more handsome, sophisticated, and dangerous. Kensi gave him an appraising look. "You're early. Want to give me a hand?"

She turned her head away and listened as he cautiously stepped towards her, the groaning floorboards marking his progress. She could smell his cologne as he stood behind her, the scent subtle but intoxicating all the same. He hesitated a moment as his hand brushed the soft skin of her back and pulled up the zipper.

"You clean up well, Agent Blye," he stated, his voice low and quiet. She shivered as his breath touched her bare skin and turned to face him. There was something simmering deep in his eyes that was impossible to miss. Kensi reveled in having dropped Callen's usually immoveable guard, if only for a moment.

"You're not so bad yourself," she answered truthfully. She backed away from him, not needing a distraction this close to the operation; because doing what her body told her to do in that moment could _only_ be called a distraction as they wouldn't even make it out of the room. Pushing those thoughts away, Kensi put on the heels she'd left by her bed as Callen cleared his throat and dug into a pocket.

"I brought you something," he said, holding out a cell phone in his hand. "It's a burn phone. It's safer to contact each other this way."

Kensi nodded and again wondered if knew more than he let on. It was impossible for him to know about the hacking (especially now that she knew he was never a mole in the first place), but the thought didn't stop her from feeling like he did. "Thanks. How are we going to get the files from Barden's server? I take it he has some serious encryption."

Callen nodded and pulled something else from his pocket. It looked like a large flash drive as he held it up. "Barden's probably keeping the information in a ghost drive, away from the eyes of his corporation. This will get us into his computer, but we'll have to find the file ourselves."

"We're going to need a lot of time in that office," she mused, adjusting one of her earrings. Callen half shrugged and held out an arm which she eyed for a moment before taking.

"I never said it'd be easy."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys!**

**Well here it is - the chapter that has been asked for more than any other. I only hope it will live up to the expectations! **

**You guys are great with the reviews and I agree with all of you who mentioned Callen in his tux. There are very few ways in which he looks better! He pulls them off so well. That one episode where everyone else dressed up and he had to dress as a waiter, I felt ROBBED! :D**

**Anyway, please enjoy the chapter and review! **

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><p>Kensi briefly wondered what it was like to be invited to these kinds of parties for real as Callen pulled his Mustang up to a waiting valet in front of Barden's house. Everybody was dressed to the nines, wearing perfectly crisp tuxedos and long, elegant gowns. The sound of music could be heard emanating from the backyard and the glow of lights was visible against the surrounding landscape. After he had given his keys (and a tip) to the red-vested man, Callen placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the party. His touch was light, but protective, and Kensi found that she didn't mind it being there.<p>

She handed the invitations she'd been sent to a man standing near the entrance of the backyard where a gazebo had been erected, lit with countless white lights. Beyond the guard, she could see waiters in white jackets moving swiftly between guests, flutes of golden champagne balanced on silver platters. It was like a scene from a movie, everyone and everything glamorous, elegant, and refined.

The guard nodded them forward and Callen guided her into the open area. The house was bypassed as the LA night provided a perfect atmosphere for a party. Kensi covertly scanned the crowd while maintaining a smile, taking note of discreet guards and entrances to the house. She glanced at Callen who she knew was doing the same thing.

"The man throws a party," she expressed quietly, bowing her head toward her partner's.

"Well, he's got enough money to do it," he answered. "Besides, everyone here has deep pockets to send him all the way to a Senate seat. Her necklace costs more than everything I own," he muttered under his breath as they passed a woman drowning in diamonds.

"I didn't think you owned anything," Kensi teased and wrapped her arm around Callen's. After another moment of scanning the area, she had a pretty good idea of the layout. Before she could voice a question, a voice sounded from behind them - one that made Kensi tense up and Callen take notice.

"I do hope you're enjoying the party," Barden said smoothly, giving her a once over when they'd turned around. "It would have been a shame for you to miss it."

Kensi hid her disgust behind a façade of humbleness as she returned his offered hand. "I can't thank you enough for the invitation. You have a beautiful home."

"Well, it dulls next to you. You look wonderful."

"You're being generous," she answered with a faux laugh.

Barden shook his head. "I don't think your date would agree," he argued, glancing at Callen. Kensi noticed he was waiting for an introduction, but realized she didn't know what Callen was using as an alias. Fortunately, he got there ahead of her.

"Joe Bradley," he stated casually, putting out his hand to the older man. "And you're right - she is beautiful." Kensi felt his arm tighten around hers and she ignored the blush that crept into her cheeks at the burning look in his eyes.

Barden returned the handshake while he studied Callen, keeping his stuck-on, ad campaign smile in place. It might have been convincing to ignorant voters, but Kensi noticed that it never reached his cold, dead eyes. "Nice to meet you. Do you work with Kensi?" Kensi laughed and answered no. "What business are you in, Mr. Bradley?" he continued, scrutinizing Callen once more.

"Oh, a little bit of everything," Callen responded easily, and Kensi noted the truth in his words with just a touch of apprehension.

"I see," Barden stated, his cold, glaring eyes never once leaving Callen. "What an interesting life that must be." Before he could continue (much to Kensi's relief) an older, wealthy-looking couple walked up.

"James!" the woman greeted, holding out her hand. "Such a marvelous party." Barden glanced from his new guests to them and Kensi used the opportunity to get away from him.

"Please excuse us," she began, placing her other hand on Callen's arm. "We don't want to keep you from your guests."

"We'll talk later," Barden stated and Kensi nodded before Callen led her away.

"A 'little bit of everything'? Really?" she muttered as Callen pulled her through the throng of people. She felt him shrug through their joined arms.

"I was living in the moment," he responded.

Edging through the crowd, they found themselves standing near the dance floor where couples gracefully moved to the soft music being played. Kensi glanced back with Callen at Barden, who was deep in conversation with the older couple. However, not everyone had turned their attention elsewhere.

"Someone looks suspicious," she stated, nodding toward one of the well-disguised security members watching them discreetly.

"Let's make it harder for him to watch, then." Callen took her hand and pulled her forward into the center of the large and mostly populated dance floor. Kensi didn't have time to be surprised before he was expertly moving them through the dancing couples, blending with the crowd.

"You dance," she said, looking up at his face. It came out as more of a statement than a question and he answered her with a look.

"Don't sound so surprised," he smirked, spinning her out.

"Not surprised," she clarified, returning to his arms in one fluid motion. "Impressed."

He leaned forward in response. "You won't be when I step on your foot," he muttered, sending a laugh out of her mouth.

The band was playing some familiar melody, and Kensi became wrapped up in the illusion as she swayed in rhythm with the man holding her close. For a single moment, she could pretend that they were two people at a party without a care in the world and not what they really were – two people who were about to embark on an important (and possibly dangerous) objective. Her raised awareness and the suspicious eyes on them told her that she was far from that carefree place but at least she could _try_ to fool herself.

As soon as it had begun, the dance ended and reality set back in. Callen was the first to respond, setting his unexpressed plan in motion. "Time to go," he stated, walking swiftly off the floor and toward the bar.

Kensi followed, her dress swishing around her legs and watched as he leaned across the counter, talking with the bartender. He motioned in her direction, to which the bartender gave a knowing nod and produced a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Callen put some money on the counter and slid it over, grabbing the offered gifts and returning to Kensi. At her quizzical look, he responded with only a word. "Insurance."

"How are we getting in?" she asked quietly.

"Through the door," he answered. Kensi wanted to challenge him for more information as he led her toward the open foyer of the house, but thought better.

This area of the house was mostly empty, open only for those in need of the restroom so they had little trouble entering. Wandering through the hall, Kensi caught sight of an area blocked off by a red rope. Unfortunately, a black suited man was standing watch in that area and was walking forward toward them, hand to his earpiece.

Callen quickly pushed her through the open bathroom door before following her in. They waited a few moments as the guard's footsteps came closer, gradually quieting as he passed. Callen glanced around before exiting the room and led Kensi to the roped off hallway. He seemed to know where he was going and Kensi followed him around the rope and through the halls to a large oak door.

Callen juggled the bottle and glasses in his hands, but Kensi was too quick for him as she pulled one of the pins from her hair and bent (with difficulty) down to the lock. Within seconds, the door popped open and they entered the office. Dim light and music was filtering in through the thinly-curtained French doors that went to the backyard. In the center of the room was Barden's desk with his laptop sitting on top.

A quiet beeping alerted them to their next obstacle. Kensi quickly went to the small, silver alarm box on the wall and popped off the cover. It was an advanced system, but nothing she couldn't handle and she momentarily praised her training. Callen dug in his jacket before producing a pocket knife which he quickly handed over. After a few seconds of considering, Kensi picked a wire and severed it. The beeping stopped and she replaced the cover before turning and taking note of the impressed expression on her companion's face.

Callen set the bottle and glasses down on the desk before quickly rounding the corner and sitting down. Kensi kept an eye on the door as she heard the clicking of keys behind her.

"We're in," he said shortly after, and Kensi turned to see his progress. He was deeply focused on searching through the files, the light from the screen turning his eyes an electric blue. Kensi couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped her as she watched him type, hitting the keys in a way that could only be called clumsy. He looked up at her, brow raised.

"What?"

"Maybe having you on the computer was a bad idea."

Callen glared in response and continued typing. "Got it," he stated triumphantly a few moments later, punching more keys. "They're encrypted, but that was expected. I'm copying the files now."

Kensi was only half listening to him as she kept an ear on the hallway. Footsteps were inching closer and her heart rate jumped in response. "Might want to make that faster," she whispered urgently, crossing the room and standing in front of the desk.

"We need more time," Callen stated, searching the screen once more. He looked up from his work and saw the controlled panic on her face as she glanced at the French doors. "Can't go out that way," he answered, starting to move things around the desk.

Kensi listened as the footsteps became dangerously loud before turning back to Callen who was in the process of now opening the bottle of champagne and filling the glasses.

"Got any other bad ideas?"

Callen cocked his head in a half shrug, putting down the bottle and moving to stand between her and the door. She met his gaze head on as he looked at her. "Just one," he answered and before she could ask what it was, his lips came crashing down onto hers.

All at once, it was everything and yet nothing that she had expected. His kiss was intense but not demanding, soft but not delicate. Kensi responded readily to his touch, wrapping her arms around his neck as Callen pushed her against the desk. Lust, adrenaline, and panic came together in a rush of emotion but her senses remained remarkably clear and trained on him. She could smell his cologne, feel the stubble on his face scratching her own skin, and hear the pounding in his chest that closely matched her own.

When Callen abruptly broke the kiss, it took her a moment to process what was now going on. He was looking at her, eyes bright and breathing heavily. Had her mind been as clear as her other senses, she might have processed the clearly open look on his usually unreadable face. However, the new voice in the room reminded her of the present situation that they were very much a part of and needed to get away from. Preferably without raising any more suspicion.

"I said you can't be in here."

Callen answered first, turning his head toward the intruder but keeping Kensi in his arms. "Do you mind?" he slurred. "We'd like a little privacy." His lips found hers once more, brushing against them for just a moment before the guard's insistent hand on Callen's shoulder pulled them apart yet again. Kensi made sure to let out a reluctant groan that was only slightly more exaggerated than she was really feeling.

"How did you get in here?" the guard asked, watching Callen closely as he stumbled away from the desk. The guard's eyes found Kensi, who promptly smiled widely and threw her arms back against the desk to brace her body up. If Callen wanted to go for drunk, she'd give him drunk.

"How do you think?" he slurred, stepping so the guard was between he and Kensi. "Through the door."

"Through the door!" Kensi echoed, swaying against the desk. Callen pointed toward her and she giggled to sell it.

"This door was locked," the guard insisted, turning his sights on back on Kensi. "Now what are you doing in here?" This was getting nowhere, and Kensi could hear the suspicion rising in the man's voice. Her gaze flicked to Callen and she tried to convey the message he probably knew already; the guard wasn't buying it, and they needed to get out _now. _

In an instant, Callen had his arm around the guard's neck, cutting off his air supply. He held the pressure for a few seconds until the flailing guard came to an unconscious stop. Callen set the large body down heavily before looking up to Kensi. "Get the drive, let's go."

Kensi rounded the desk, pulling the drive out and slamming the computer shut. Callen had his head out the door, checking the hall before taking a breath and straightening his jacket. His face again became calm and impassive as he cleared his throat and held out his arm. "Shall we?"

Kensi tucked a lock of stray hair back in place and slipped the drive into his pocket. She looked up at him before putting her arm in his and plastering a smile on her face. "I think we shall."


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey everyone!**

**Your reviews for the last chapter were awesome - so awesome that I had to say a few things...**

**harryginny9 - Thanks for reading! I'm really glad to hear you still like the story. **

**lizard1969 - For some reason, I started laughing hysterically at your "Callen...G. Callen" thing. Thank you for making my day! **

**sazzita - Touche. Less clothes is always better!**

**TwighlightPony21 - Thanks! I went with the 'if it ain't broke' approach on that one - they do the drunk couple so well! And don't worry, your questions should be answered soon (that's the goal, at least!)**

**evershort - Thank you for hating Barden! I was trying to figure out how to make him a jerk, seeing as he's only been in, what, 2 scenes? Your comment really put my mind at ease - it's a relief to hear that the characters sound like themselves. And if getting an update feels anything like how I feel when I get a review, that makes me feel really great. **

**Annabeth - Thank you! I agree with all of your objectives (whether the story does or not, we'll see!). I'm glad that all my random additions to this story have continued to make sense - this was originally only going to be about 6 chapters long!**

**Phew. Like I said, thank you to all of you who review. I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

**PS. Did I shamelessly put one of my favorite quotes from the show into this chapter? Perhaps...**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own them. **

* * *

><p>After slipping quietly back through the house, Callen and Kensi managed to get back out into the party. They'd nodded politely when eyes had turned to them, not letting any sign of what had happened earlier make itself visible. Barden's guards were still looking suspicious, but Callen had quietly guided Kensi along the path and out to the front yard without raising any alarms. It wasn't until they were safely inside the Mustang that Kensi let out the breath she'd been holding in for what felt like ages.<p>

"Well that was fun," she muttered, sinking into the leather seat as Callen pulled away from the opulent house and its extravagant party.

"That was only half of it," he answered. "We won't have Barden pinned until we know what he's hiding."

"But we're one step closer."

Callen nodded and began following the roads toward her house. Kensi tried to focus on anything else, but her mind wouldn't ignore the memory of the spine-tingling kiss from before. It had been for the mission – a needed distraction that was the most convincing and easiest to pull off. She tried to take the kiss that way but noticed suddenly that the car seemed too small, Callen seemed too close, and she seemed too eager to try it again.

"Now that would be a problem."

Kensi snapped her head around to look at him incredulously. "What?"

Callen raised an eyebrow at her tone of alarm and motioned to the rearview mirror. "I think we've got a visitor," he clarified and Kensi felt a twinge of relief. Relief was quickly replaced with unease that settled somewhere in her throat as she twisted in her seat and looked out the back window. Even though it was dark, the traffic was lighter than normal and one car in particular was keeping a measured distance from them. Paranoia kept it from being an innocent motorist out on the street and turned it into any one of many people who could be after either one of them.

Callen glanced at her before testing his theory. Using one of the best tactics for locating a tail, he stopped the Mustang in the middle of his lane of traffic. The response of honking was expected as cars began to weave around and past him. On the other hand, the car they were watching copied their movements and stayed behind them, making themselves instantly noticeable.

"Guess we made an impression at the party," Kensi mused. A muscle in Callen's jaw twitched as one hand tightened on the steering wheel, another gripping the shifter. He suddenly stood on the accelerator, sending the car shooting forward and Kensi flying back in her seat. She stared out the side mirror as the other car followed, all pretense of staying hidden gone as they came closer. Finally, the sound of gunfire found them as did the telltale ping of bullets hitting metal.

"Son of a _bitch_," Callen exclaimed, swerving as they reached dangerously illegal speeds. "Hold on."

The other car worked to stay with them as they ventured further into the tight city streets. Callen weaved through traffic expertly, rocketing around corners and veering down alleys. After getting some distance, he pulled into a driveway and killed the lights. Kensi felt her heart beating wildly in her chest.

They sat with bated breath as the headlights of their pursuer came closer, finally passing without even the slightest hesitation. Kensi let out a breath as Callen shifted into reverse and backed out of the driveway, going back toward the streets they had come in on. He turned west onto the highway that went in the opposite direction of her house.

"What are you doing?" she asked, waiting for the adrenaline to subside while watching him. She wanted to be angry with him for looking so calm and cool but her trained eye saw behind the façade. His posture was stiff, every sense looking for a sign that something was wrong.

"Someone is onto us. It wouldn't take them much to find out where you live."

Kensi shook her head. "You know NCIS buries all that information under eight layers of false paperwork. I never even gave Barden my address," she reasoned, knowing deep down that he was right. But she would rather look for an alternative than admit her own home could be compromised.

"Is that good enough for you?" he asked, glancing at her with that same intense look he'd had earlier. "Because it sure as hell isn't good enough for me."

Kensi sighed and twisted to face him. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

><p>"So this is it, huh?"<p>

"Welcome to my humble abode," Callen muttered, killing the engine of the car and popping the door. Kensi followed suit as she glanced again at the twin-level motel they'd come to. It looked similar to the one she'd tailed him to earlier in the week, only this one was in more of a Spanish style. The walls had been painted in a fake stucco color, some of it cracking and chipping in places. The teal window trims and doors had seen better days, but overall it wasn't the worst place she'd ever seen.

They were close to the beach and Kensi could hear the waves hitting the shore nearby as she waited, shivering with the cool breeze. Callen dug around in the trunk of the car before producing a worn out, green duffel bag.

"What?" she asked, a smile creeping into her voice. "No pool?"

Callen looked up as he closed the trunk and threw the bag over his shoulder. "Too many bullet holes in me, Kenz," he said dryly, stopping in front of her with that damn smirk on his face. "I'd sink." Kensi's gaze went from his eyes to his lips, which he noticed before brushing past and climbing the metal stairs. She glared at his back briefly before following him up to the second story. If he wanted to play cat-and-mouse with their sexual tension, he'd better prepare himself.

Callen unlocked the door and held it open as Kensi walked past and inside, returning the favor and lightly (but intentionally) brushing against him. It wasn't much of a living space, but she supposed it suited Callen's needs well enough. There was a small table and a mini refrigerator on the floor circa 1982. She resisted the urge to peek inside and see just what Callen kept, finding it hard to picture him doing something as mundane and _normal _as buying groceries. The man in question turned the lock on the door and threw his bag down next to it. He flicked on the single, low light and put a hand in his pocket.

"Do you think it was all worth it?" she asked.

Callen held the drive out to her. "I guess we'll find out." Kensi grabbed it, turning it over in her hand. So many lives had been ruined by the information on this one flash drive; including that of the man in front of her.

Kensi placed the drive carefully on the table. She could see a sliver of faded orange light filtering in through the drawn curtains nearby and took the few steps to that side of the room. Beyond the parking lot, the waves were continuing their relentless assault on the beach and the dull haze of the city lights filled the sky. The one bed in the room had been stripped nearly bare, with the exception of a single sheet and pillow. The rest of the bedding was lying in a heap on the floor next to an old Army bedroll.

"Bed not getting much use?" she asked innocently, turning back to the other occupant and motioning to the makeshift sleeping area on the ground.

Callen tossed his jacket on the back of a chair and his bowtie soon followed. "Oh yeah," he started, crossing the room. "Force of habit." He picked up the blanket and tossed it unceremoniously onto the bed. "It's yours."

Kensi nodded before she pulled off her very cute (but very uncomfortable) heels. She could feel Callen's eyes on her as she toyed with a fringe on her dress. "You know something?" she asked him, deciding to break the silence that had fallen. "The night with that mess at the warehouse…"

"You mean the night you followed me?" he interrupted, popping a button on his collar.

Kensi mock glared at him and continued. "Yes, the night I _followed_ you. When you stopped off at that motel, I thought you might be meeting…well, an _old friend_."

Callen looked up from what he was doing with a raised eyebrow before comprehension dawned and he smirked. "Ah…no."

"No?" she echoed, taking a few steps forward in the small room.

"Haven't had much time for _old friends. _Not for a while."

"Really?" she asked, lowering her voice. She'd stepped within a foot of him before inching closer. "That's kind of sad."

"Glad to hear you think so," he answered. Kensi could tell he knew that he could stop her at any time, but he merely watched her with interest as she closed the distance between their lips.

Callen didn't touch her and she didn't step closer as she moved her lips against his. When she pulled away, she looked into his face and its usual unreadable expression. His eyes, however, told a different and much more interesting story that made something in her stomach twist in anticipation. She was being reckless and she knew it, but somehow it just didn't matter when he looked at her like that.

"This is a bad idea," he growled, the tone of his voice contradicting the words they spoke. Kensi responded by placing her hands on his chest and using one of his trademark smirks against him.

"You're right. We seem to be full of those tonight."

Kensi had a mere moment to watch the measured control leave his body before his hands were around her waist, pulling her into his kiss. There was no hesitation this time, no situational awareness pulling them out of the moment and into a mission. Urgency dominated their kisses and sparks flew in their touches as they became just two people, abandoning their doubts and misgivings in favor of a night without anything but each other. There was one thing Kensi knew for certain as she felt her dress fall to the floor and strong arms lift her out of it: Callen's bed wouldn't be ignored tonight.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey everybody! **

**So between finals, tons of overtime, and lots of last minute Christmas shopping, I've managed to get another chapter together. Thanks for sticking with me!**

**As many of you guessed, the stolen line from the show was the 'too many bullet holes' bit from Season 1 - Episode 2. CO'D's delivery in the episode is so hilarious, I knew I had to work it into a story eventually! And yes, the visuals of Callen and Kensi finally getting 'together' were too vague (even for me) but this way everyone can have exactly what they want - with the help of some mental imagery! **

**Thank you for all your comments! It amazes me how you'll go out of your way to let me know what you think (i.e. you, evershort - and the review problems). I know it takes time and effort to review (because I'm usually too lazy to do so myself) but you guys always come through. You're the best!**

**And so, please enjoy this chapter and Merry Christmas! I'm hoping to get another chapter up beforehand, but if I don't, then Happy New Years, too. **

**Disclaimer: 2011 - still don't own them. I think that's a safe bet for '12, too. **

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><p>Kensi groaned as her senses gradually came to life, one at a time. She could feel something large and warm beside her as the distant sound of the ocean slowly filled her head. She cracked her eyes open, adjusting them to the dim light filtering in through the curtains. It must have been early as the sun was still hiding behind the horizon. Her memory came along shortly after, reminding her of the night before and what had led to her lying next to something, hearing the ocean, and looking at a parking lot light from a bed that wasn't her own.<p>

In an attempt to confirm the rush of images assaulting her mind, she looked up to see exactly _what_ she was sleeping next to. What she found was Callen, his back propped up against the headboard and an arm resting lazily over her shoulder, keeping her curled into his side. His eyes were closed and his breathing even so she took the golden opportunity to study him while he was calm, still, and vulnerable – three things that he had refused to be up until now.

"Admiring my handsome features, Agent Blye?"

Callen's voice was low, but in the silence of the small room it was like he'd shouted. Kensi shot up and gasped, clutching a sheet and noticing the laughing glint in his now-open eyes.

"Don't you ever sleep?" she asked, glaring at his expression.

"Do you always snore?" he retorted.

"I do not snore!" Callen chuckled and she couldn't help smiling along with him. "And for your information, Agent Callen, I was not."

Callen's smile faltered for a moment but he covered it with another. "Now that's something I haven't been called in a long time."

The female agent watched him closely for a moment. "You still could be, you know," she said quietly, wandering into unspoken territory. It was an unavoidable topic that she found herself thinking on more and more often.

"Not likely. I'm too much of a risk for NCIS now. They don't trust me."

Kensi pulled the sheet to her chest and twisted to face him. "But when you take down Barden the truth will come out about what happened to you. Your name will be cleared."

"It's never that simple, Kenz," he stated, eyes dark and intense. "You know that. The most I could hope for would be getting sent to an undisclosed location to keep me _secure_."

Kensi sighed, wanting to debate with him but knowing it would get nowhere. Instead, she asked "So what are you going to do when this is over?"

Her companion offered an indifferent shrug. "Keep doing what I've been doing."

"But you'll always be running," she argued.

"We all knew that the moment we decided to become agents. We're always running from someone, whether we're sanctioned or not."

Kensi nodded slowly, deciding to let the topic lie for now. She replaced her head on his shoulder and wondered at how natural it felt as they fell into a short silence. "I guess your plan about not getting close went out the window, huh?" she asked, looking up at him once more.

"Yeah," he agreed, looking down at her. She could almost hear the voices of his mind fighting it out as he gave her another smirk, this one lacking its usual confidence. He seemed unsure of himself and she knew what the cause of that was_. _Kensi adjusted her position at his side and waited for the inevitable backtracking speech that Callen was bound to give her, a speech that she would refuse to listen to. Sure enough, his quiet voice pierced the silence once more.

"We both know this was a mistake."

"We were living in the moment," she echoed from the night before, putting an arm around his neck and trailing kisses along his jaw. She had no regrets about what had happened and would not allow him to have any either.

"Is that what they call it?" He shifted against the headboard and she could hear the half-hearted resistance creeping back into his voice as he cleared his throat. "If you keep that up, I won't be able to stop you."

Kensi stopped and pulled away from him, just far enough to look him square in the eye. "I'm not asking you to, Callen."

Callen growled in frustration and in an instant had Kensi pinned underneath him. His voice was ragged and she saw a gleam in his eyes as he hovered above her, his lips dangerously close. "You are a stubborn woman, you know that?"

Kensi smiled before pulling him closer. "So I've been told."

* * *

><p>Kensi woke for the second time that morning to an empty bed and a brightly lit window. After taking a quick scan of the main room and open bathroom door, she realized Callen was indeed gone. Standing up, she wrapped the sheet around her still bare body and carefully stepped over the discarded clothes from the night before, including pieces of Callen's tux and her rumpled dress. Hetty's warning flashed through her mind and Kensi picked up the garment, carefully laying it out on the bed. <em>Well, at least it was worth it.<em>

Just as she was contemplating her choices in attire, the sound of someone ascending the metal staircase outside drifted into the small motel room. Kensi instinctively searched for her gun at her side before remembering that she was wearing a bed sheet and nothing else. After a quick glance, she noticed that her handbag was on the table and just knowing that her weapon was nearby calmed her nerves. She could hear the tumblers in the lock give way before the door creaked open, revealing a fully dressed, sunglassed Callen carrying an armful of bags and two Styrofoam coffee cups.

After he kicked the door shut with his foot and relocked it, Callen dumped the bags off on the table in front of him. "Good morning," he greeted as he pulled off his shades and handed her a cup. Kensi could feel him taking in her tousled hair and obvious lack of clothing and she caught a glimpse of the same look he'd had in his eyes the night before. Her mind decided to go places it couldn't be (not for now, at least) so she took a sip from her cup and averted her gaze to the items he'd brought in.

"I hope you brought me some clothes," she stated, eyeing a duffel bag in particular. He saw her gaze and nodded toward it. Kensi picked it up and unzipped it, laughingly picturing Callen going through and buying women's clothing. After a cursory glance, she realized that he'd brought clothes that already belonged to her. "You went to my house?"

Callen continued rooting through bags. "They're hidden, but they're watching it. Probably have been since last night." Kensi's stomach clenched uncomfortably but she covered her reaction by asking how he made it in. "I didn't say they were _good_ at hiding. Or watching, really."

Kensi nodded absently and walked toward the bathroom, digging around in the bag Callen brought. "I'm going to take a shower…"She stopped at the sight of what he had brought her. "You went through my lingerie?" she asked, turning to face him. She didn't have a problem with it, but he hadn't exactly picked the most conservative ensemble she owned.

Callen's head popped up from his work at her suspicious tone and adopted an innocent look that was questionable only because of the smirk in his eyes. "Nothing I haven't seen before, Kenz."

Kensi smiled and shook her head before walking into the bathroom and cleaning herself up. She half-wondered if they would end up repeating the night before but reluctantly pushed the thought from her head. Her focus was supposed to be on the fact that her house was now compromised, a dangerous mole in her own agency was suspicious of her, _and_ that they were sitting on information that would bring down the man who had killed her father – not remembering the feel of Callen's lips on her own or how his hands felt on her skin.

With this newest dose of reality bearing down on her, Kensi headed out into the main room to find Callen sitting on the bed, picking through a Styrofoam box that reeked of bacon. At her stomach's very audible growl, Kensi wandered over to him and looked longingly into his box. "There's one for you, too," he mentioned after eyeing her suspiciously and pulling his meal away from her prying hands. Kensi eagerly found the aforementioned box and opened it, inhaling the scent of eggs and bacon.

"So what's the plan?" she asked between mouthfuls of breakfast. "What are we going to do with the drive?"

Callen raised an eyebrow at her eagerness to wolf down the meal before continuing with his own. "I have someone who can decode it."

She interrupted him. "Why can't we just take it to NCIS?"

He examined her for a moment. "Words on a page are just words on a page…"

"Until we have proof," she finished, realizing the situation. Callen nodded. "The shipping list?" she asked, receiving another nod in response.

"Now, papers _and _a shipment of stolen military weapons to back it up? That's convincing."

"So when are we going to meet this 'someone'?" Callen gave her an all too familiar look of hesitation and before he could speak, she cut him off. "Oh, come on Callen, we've been over this before. You're not getting rid of me, not until this is over."

"I thought you would miss working on actual cases by now," he countered, trying to adopt a laughing tone but Kensi saw through his feeble attempt to keep her at a distance.

"That's not going to work on me, Callen. I am going with you to find that shipment and that's it."

"Like I said; stubborn," Callen muttered, standing and depositing his empty box into the garbage. Kensi followed, smiling smugly at her victory before tailing him out the door and down to the car.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys! **

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**Thanks so much for the reviews and messages! I'm grateful that you guys took time from the holidays to let me know what you thought. **

**Kind of a short chapter this time, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. **

**P.S. - I couldn't resist bringing up the Tootsie Pops - mainly because I'm slightly addicted to them myself. I only wish I could make cool origami with the wrappers like Sam...oh well. **

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><p>"What's with all the Tootsie Pop wrappers in here?"<p>

Kensi watched as her driver glanced over at the brightly colored paper in her hand. "They're addictive," he answered, turning his eyes back to the road.

Kensi considered the paper for another moment before facing the window and watching the small shops pass by. She wondered briefly just how Callen knew this 'source' and was about to ask when he spoke himself. "Here it is."

The building they'd stopped in front of could have fooled her into thinking it was abandoned. Only colored flyers in the windows dated for the next couple weeks told her otherwise. Kensi got out of the car and went to the door without waiting for Callen to catch up.

"I guess he's closed for the day," she stated, jiggling the locked door handle. Callen pulled off his sunglasses before glancing through the dingy, paper-covered windows. Unsatisfied, he bent down and worked for a moment before the lock clicked on the door and he stood back up.

"Never stopped me before," he panned, opening the door and stepping inside.

As soon as she entered, Kensi knew something was wrong. Something in the air wasn't right and it caused the small hairs at the back of her neck to stand on end. Breathing in, she caught the faint metallic smell that hung in the room and her eyes widened in comprehension.

"Callen," she warned, watching as he drew a gun from his back and headed around the counter. His expression soured as he replaced the gun and bent down.

Kensi peered around the corner and saw him checking the pulse of a short, skinny man, no older than she was and sporting a brand new bullet hole in his head. "I take it this is your guy?"

Callen stood and walked quickly from the back of the counter. "We need to get out of here," he stated, grabbing hold of her elbow and leading her out of the store. Kensi ran to the door of the Mustang and threw herself inside before Callen joined her and they sped away from the building.

What began as a wonderfully confusing and yet simple morning had quickly turned into the worst case scenario with such force that Kensi found herself wondering if the ease she'd felt before had ever really been there at all. Everything had been set up perfectly; decrypt the drive, turn it in, and take down the bastard that had killed her father. She should have known that it would never be that easy and cursed the part of her that hoped it would.

Kensi kept an eye out of the car for anyone that might be tailing them but no suspects stuck out. If they had any luck left, they wouldn't have to go two-for-two in weekend high-speed chases.

"We should call this in," she finally stated, looking over at her partner. His hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly as his gaze shifted between the mirrors.

"I don't think that's necessary," he admitted, motioning toward the screaming police cars heading to where they had just come from. Kensi watched them pass and leaned back in her seat.

The rest of the drive was spent in silence, sneaking glances at the man next to her. She wished she could read the thoughts running through his head but knew that any effort she gave would be useless.

Finally, they ended up back at the motel and in considerably worse spirits than when they'd left earlier. Kensi started up the stairs while Callen silently followed and spoke once he'd caught up with her.

"Look, it's not over," she rationalized, hoping her voice could make the idea sound more convincing than it did in her head. "I can take the drive in and have it decrypted at NCIS." She paused and waited for a reaction but after getting none, she continued. "And yes, I know we've got the mole problem but it's a risk we'll have to take. It's the only option we have left."

Kensi waited for a response and was momentarily grateful for not having told Callen about the hacking; if he knew about it, there was no way he'd agree to this back-up plan. She was going to have a hard enough time convincing him as it was. And while a part of her warned the dangers of him _not_ knowing, Kensi refused to give up now – not after all they'd gone through.

"No," Callen declared suddenly, stopping in his tracks. Kensi turned to face him and noticed the hard set of his jaw and dark look in his eyes. "This ends now." He turned and headed back down the stairs, pulling his keys from a pocket as he did.

Kensi began following him before he halted her with a look. "Where are you going?"

"You're staying here," he stated, voice dangerously low.

"What are you going to do?" she repeated with more force, getting ahead of him and standing between the car door and his body. "You're just going to go over there and put a bullet in his head? You won't get within ten feet of him."

"This has gone far enough, Kensi. I'm not going to put anyone else in danger again." He tried to reach the handle but she moved to block him once more.

"You don't think I've wanted that since I found out about him? He killed my _father_," she reminded him, fighting to keep her voice from shaking. "You convinced me that we were doing this for justice, for a _greater_ _good_, and I listened and followed you blindly through it all. Well now you're going to listen to me," she said harshly, placing a halting hand on his chest for effect.

She took a breath and lowered her voice. "We're going to do this the right way - I willget that drive decrypted and we _will_ take Barden down. Because whether you admit it or not, we _both _need this."

Callen's jaw was still clenched as he locked gazes with her, watching as she drew deep breaths in the growing silence. Kensi refused to back down from her stand and waited as he struggled with only himself.

After a few tense moments, he stepped forward until there were only inches between them. "I hope you realize the danger you're putting yourself in," he gritted out, putting a hand into his pocket. "There's no going back from this."

Kensi took the drive from his outstretched hand and slipped it into her own pocket. "I realized that the moment I met you," she answered, meeting his gaze. "And I haven't left yet."


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey everyone!**

**Hope you all had a good New Year's and such - it's taken me up until now to get past Christmas! **

**Thanks to everyone who has favorite-ed, alerted, reviewed or messaged me about this story - you guys are great. I love reading your thoughts (and in all honesty, a major chunk of this chapter was written because of your comments!) and keep them coming! **

**As usual, I still don't own the show. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p>The newly-risen sun elongated Kensi's shadow as she walked toward the abandoned building that housed the Office of Special Projects. She had insisted on taking a cab over Callen's objections – her vehicle was at work already and she refused to let him bring her anywhere near the building. The team was suspicious enough as it was and they didn't need to see her driving around with their prime suspect.<p>

Her head had been on a swivel all morning, watching and waiting for one of Barden's men to jump out behind every parked car and dark alley. The idea was unlikely seeing as no one had found their undercover headquarters yet (even though more determined and pissed off people had tried). But the threat alone was all too real. Unease flooded her mind as the cool metal of her gun provided reassurance that helped her keep her focus.

Kensi knew that it would be quiet in OPS this early in the morning. Optimistically, Deeks wouldn't show up for another couple of hours and Sam would head straight for the gym, probably dragging Dom with him whenever the junior agent turned up. But as she hoped for her team's slow arrival, she knew the person she had to see would already be working in these early hours.

While the agents were allowed to show up a little later in the morning, the technical operators were almost always there early, taking on the long and arduous task of research for cases. And for all that Kensi and the team liked to complain about the danger of field work and the emotional toll of cases, she wouldn't ever trade her job with theirs.

Her footsteps made a haunting sound as they echoed off the halls of the building, the steady thuds all that could be heard. Against the voice of hopeful reason in her head, she found herself looking at everything as though it was the last time she would see it. The worn out couch in the bullpen, the desks overflowing with reports…this was her home.

She couldn't imagine _not_ being an NCIS agent – everything she'd done in her life had brought her here. But if that was the price to be paid to take down a man like Barden, it was worth it. Wasn't that how they justified everything that had to be done before; every questionable mission, every insincere promise to an innocent person? Kensi sighed and steeled her resolve. The answer was yes; it was always yes. The ends would always justify the means – they had to.

Kensi made her way up the stairs and into the blue-lit tech room. She could see Nell in the corner of the room, using one of the many computers to do background checks for someone else's case. She made no indication of noticing the agent's arrival, only continued in her work. It was only when Kensi spoke that she turned in her chair.

"Morning, Nell."

"Kensi," the tech replied, glancing at her briefly before continuing her work. "You're here early today."

Kensi had considered going to Eric but ultimately decided that Nell would be better for this particular task. After all, the other operator was already suspicious of her and was known to crack under pressure from Hetty. Nell had proven before that she could keep people in the dark on things, even their formidable operations manager.

"I needed to see you, actually."

This seemed to get Nell's attention for she stopped typing, turning to give Kensi her full attention. "What for?"

Kensi pulled the flash drive from her pocket and held it out. "I need the information on this drive," she stated, watching as Nell put the drive into the computer and hit a few keys. When the familiar lines of random letters and numbers appeared, she continued. "Can you decrypt it?"

"It's going to take me a few minutes," Nell answered just as the phone behind her began to ring. "What case is this for?"

Kensi went to the ringing phone. "It's a case I'm working," she evaded, reading the extension number on the phone with a sense of dread before picking up. "Yes?"

"Good morning, Ms. Blye," Hetty's clipped accent came through the wire. "I would like a word with you."

"Okay," she responded before the line went dead. "How long?" Kensi asked, turning back to Nell. She didn't want to leave the drive alone but knew that not meeting up with Hetty would only be asking for trouble.

Nell hesitated. "Give me fifteen minutes?"

Kensi nodded and walked out of the room, bounding down the stairs and over to the small platform in the room. She hoped that whatever Hetty had to ask wouldn't take long and she could get back to Nell. Because some part of her felt safer just by keeping the drive within sight, as if she could protect the information on it simply by being near.

She elongated her steps and made it to the platform in record time while keeping a composed and calm exterior. Hetty was puttering around her desk when Kensi spoke.

"You wanted to see me, Hetty?"

"A most unusual case came to my attention," she started casually, turning to face her agent. Kensi impatiently looked up the stairs and didn't register her op manager's tone or her stare. "A high-speed chase and shooting over the weekend."

"Was anyone injured?" Kensi asked absently and Hetty shook her head in way of an answer. "Sounds like a case for LAPD, then."

"Normally it would be," Hetty responded. "But as you were a passenger in one of the vehicles, I thought it would be better suited for NCIS."

Kensi's gaze widened and snapped from the door upstairs to the small woman in front of her. Her mouth fell open and she closed it, repeating the motion several times as she tried to find a response. _How in the…?_

Hetty put a hand up. "I didn't tell you this so you would explain. In fact, I would like to do some of the explaining," she stated, walking around to sit behind her desk.

Kensi was still trying to figure out how she knew about that night and didn't immediately register what Hetty had just said. She finally found her voice after she realized that this would be a rare opportunity for answers from a woman who typically gave few.

"How long?" she questioned, setting herself down in a chair without taking her wide eyes off Hetty.

"Some time." Kensi was baffled that Hetty responded as though it were just a simple question and not the mess it really was. But her voice soon grew solemn. "Your team hasn't asked questions out of respect for your privacy. I do not have that luxury when it comes to my agents."

Kensi sat stunned for a moment and gazed at the desk. It had been naïve of her to think she could keep anything secret from Hetty, especially with the way she'd been acting as of late, but the operation manager's apparent wealth of knowledge (added to the fact that this was the first time she'd mentioned knowing) was still surprising. The fact that she knew so much about what was going on made Kensi wonder what else she knew.

"So you know about him?" she asked, watching the older woman's impassive face. There was no need to elaborate, as she was well aware that Hetty heard between the lines she spoke.

"Yes, I know. I know that you have been meeting in secret with none other than Mr. Callen. I'm not condemning you, dear," she added hastily at the expression on Kensi's face. "I only want to stress the implications of what you are doing."

"So you believe Callen is innocent?" she asked after a pause, leaning in closer to the desk. "You must, since we're talking like this."

Hetty paused. "I had hand-chosen Mr. Callen for his position in NCIS," she said carefully. "And while I have been wrong before, I knew he wouldn't have murdered a suspect. If he had, we wouldn't have found out," she said as an afterthought.

"But Sam and everyone else believed it."

"Sam and Callen had only been working together for a short time. And as I'm sure you've noticed, Callen has a tendency to do things on his own terms. And it did not always sit well with Sam's SEAL mentality. But they were an effective team," she added. "And they trusted each other. Sam merely sees it as his duty to bring Callen in, not determine his guilt, even though I doubt he believes it himself." There was another pause as Hetty watched her agent with a somber expression. "We never did find who really killed Trent Durke, which doesn't help Mr. Callen's case at all."

Hetty's last statement caused Kensi's head to snap up. "You don't know about Barden?"

The older woman's face gave nothing away, but there was something glinting in her eyes that went against her words. "I know that James Barden is an extremely powerful and influential man who is running for Senate and has a lot of friends in very high places. I know he was a Colonel in the Marine Corps and stationed at Camp Pendleton the same time as your father. He is a man who has served and continues to serve his country."

Hetty mimicked Kensi by leaning forward slightly in her seat. "And any information beyond that falls on deaf ears unless you or Mr. Callen can prove, without a doubt, that he is otherwise."

"But can't you do something?" Kensi asked incredulously. "If you've known all this time, why hasn't anything been done yet?"

Hetty fixed her with a hard stare. "Do not think so lowly of me, Agent Blye. If this were only a matter of my personal job security, I would have had this mess cleared long ago. You don't think people haven't suspected Barden before? Mr. Callen put a few of the pieces together but he wasn't the first to do so, as I'm sure you know. Unorthodox methods are best in this case, and Mr. Callen's frame-up put him in a better position to use those methods. It's why the case was buried so quickly and why you had never even heard of an Agent Callen until recently."

"So _you've_ been keeping Callen hidden?"

"Oh no, Ms. Blye, that was Mr. Callen's own ability," Hetty answered. "I simply kept NCIS from looking too hard."

"Does he know?" she asked after another long pause.

Hetty sighed, a rare occurrence for her. "I'm sure he suspects as much. I've always wanted to do more but there isn't much I can do – which brings me back to my original point. I cannot sanction anything you do outside of this agency. If you are caught working with him, you will likely be painted in the same light as Mr. Callen and blacklisted from NCIS. And you know everything that entails."

Kensi took a deep breath and stood from her seat. "Are you going to tell the team?"

Hetty fixed her with a gaze for a few moments as though considering her question (even though, as Kensi was well aware, Hetty always knew what her answer was before the question was asked). "They can't be kept in the dark forever, Kensi. Mr. Deeks has already come to me with questions and worries. Sam knows better than to ask, though it has been weighing on him. But," she paused, "they would undoubtedly join you if they knew what was going on. And so the question falls to you. Do you want them to know?"

Kensi considered her. Did she want her team, her _family_, to go through everything Callen had already gone through and everything she had ahead of her? Would she let them sacrifice their careers and possibly their freedom to take down Barden? It was never a question of whether the bastard was worth the risk, only a question of who should be responsible for the consequences.

Kensi knew that she would rather lose everything herself than ask anyone else to do the same. And if fate was on her side and she somehow made it out of this mess, their trust was all she would lose. And as painful as that would be, it was better than losing them all together. Steeling her reserve, Kensi faced Hetty's question head on, answer ready and unwavering.

"No."

But somewhere deep in the city, dark plans were in the works that made Kensi's response pointless.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey Guys!**

**Hope you all had a good week! Thanks for the response on the last chapter - in all honesty I was pretty worried about it. But you guys put my mind at ease, so thanks! I always appreciate the reviews/messages and love reading them, so if you have time, drop me a line!**

**We're almost there! I counted it up and I think there will be about four more chapters after this one - I can't believe it's been this long to start with. Thank you all for sticking with me! **

**As usual, I still don't own the show. **

**Hope you enjoy! **

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><p>The building itself seemed entirely different to Kensi as she took the stairs two at a time back up to the OPS center. She didn't know how to feel after the enlightening talk with her operations manager – something told her that she should be even more guarded and paranoid but another side fought back. Knowing that Hetty understood the situation and agreed with it made her feel strangely relieved.<p>

That relief didn't last long when she remembered that her situation was still just as perilous as it had been ten minutes ago. And matters weren't helped any when she met a familiar, unwelcome sight lurking at the top of the stairs.

"Morning, Kensi," Renko greeted. He looked rumpled and disheveled as usual and was carrying a mug that almost certainly wasn't his.

"Hello Renko," she replied, trying to rush past him.

"You're here early enough," he commented.

Kensi tried to keep her rising suspicion in check. "I could say the same about you."

"Never left. That couch downstairs never gets any comfier, does it?"

"I wouldn't know. Did you need something, Renko?"

Renko would have to be deaf not to notice her clipped tone. Kensi was eager to get any information from Nell that she could give back to Callen and end this mess sooner rather than later.

"Look, I know you're pretty pissed with me. I'm not going to pretend to know why."

Kensi had no response for him – at least none that would make sense. Instead, she settled on an answer that would both appease him and not draw him in (in case her nagging suspicion about the mole was right).

"I'm not pissed with you, Renko. It was a bad week," she finished.

Renko watched her for a split second before asking "We're okay?"

Kensi forced a small smile onto her face before assuring him that they were. "I'll catch up with you later."

After watching Renko recede down the stairs, Kensi turned and hurried into Nell's workspace. She was right where Kensi had left her, sitting in front of a glaring computer. A cell phone sat next to the hand poised over a mouse, moving through open files on the screen.

"What do you have, Nell?"

The young analyst turned in her chair to face the agent. Something was different in her face and Kensi knew she'd unlocked the information on the drive.

"What is it?" she repeated, waiting for Nell to speak. Finally, she did.

"It's mostly shipping manifests. But there's a list of names in here – names of people in the government."

Kensi had expected as much but turned her attention to the shipping lists. "What about the shipping manifests?"

Nell seemed reluctant to turn to that information and the agent knew it seemed strange to be more interested in those than the government worker list. That would be important later, but for now she needed the hard evidence that the shipping papers could provide.

"Each shipment has a number assigned to it that corresponds to fourteen different warehouses scattered throughout the city," Nell explained.

Kensi looked over her shoulder and read some of the pages. "Move it down, will you?" she asked, noticing that the dates on the logs were already past.

"I don't know what you're getting into," Nell began as she complied with the request, "but this looks like serious stuff. The encryption alone was beyond average security."

Kensi wasn't paying much attention to Nell as she found today's date typed next to a coded number and the words _R45K OUTBND. _From what she could gather, Barden had a shipment moving later that day.

"That one," she exclaimed, pointing to the screen. "Which warehouse is that?"

Nell glanced at where Kensi was pointing and hit a few more keys. "As far as I can tell, it belongs to a large corporation with about thirty-five holdings."

"Send the address to my phone," Kensi ordered. "I need copies of all this. Hard copies."

A few keys later and the printer in the room whirred to life. Kensi waited as the pages piled together and were finally finished. Stacking them together, she grabbed an empty folder nearby and shoved them inside.

"Should I call the team?"

The agent quickly shot off a negative answer. "No. Don't tell them," she stated, pulling the drive from the computer and putting it into her pocket. "And forget you did this." At Nell's hesitant look, she pressed further. "I'm serious, Nell. This is dangerous information and people are going to be hurt." At that, she made for the door.

"You're not going there alone…?" Nell asked her retreating form, more of a feeble command than a question.

Kensi turned at the door and forced another reassuring look, one that belayed the rush of adrenaline and caution flowing through her body. "No. Not alone."

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><p>The rumble of an engine announced Callen's presence as Kensi waited on the backside of an industrial complex. She'd called him on the way, explained as much as she could over the phone, and told him to meet her at the address Nell had sent through.<p>

After killing the engine, he popped the door and stepped out. His sunglasses were firmly fixed on his face and he was in his usual suit of dark, faded jeans and a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Kensi was glad the tension from the other day in the parking lot had been mostly resolved. The night had helped with that.

Callen took off his glasses and tossed them through the open window of the Mustang onto the dash. A hand brushed to his back and Kensi knew he was placing his gun at the ready.

"So this is it?" he asked, walking up to Kensi's Cadillac and taking the files from her outstretched hand.

"Everything from the drive," she mentioned. "More than enough dirt on Barden to take him down."

Callen examined a page for a few moments before looking to the warehouse across the street. "And this is the place?"

Kensi leaned closer (quietly enjoying the way he tensed up as her hair fell and brushed the side of his face) and pulled a sheet from under the one he was looking at. "According to this, there will be a shipment leaving here at two o'clock today." A quick glance at a watch said it was just after ten. "If we get in there now, we can get whatever illegal goods Barden already has. And later, we'll get the other men working for him."

Callen nodded and handed her the file. "Let's do it."

Kensi threw the file into her car before following Callen over to the warehouse. She scanned to tops of the buildings and noted the cameras hooked to them. Throwing out an arm, she stopped Callen in his tracks.

"Wait. Look," she muttered, pointing at the cameras.

Callen looked up and examined them for a moment. Kensi had stopped him while they were still outside of the camera's scope, but the only entrance was directly in sight of the security system. Kensi wondered if there would be guards inside or around the buildings also. She turned to Callen, who had thought the same thing and they pulled their guns before moving again.

Searching, Kensi found an alternative route. "Feel like climbing?" she asked, pointing out a fire escape alongside of the building. It looked as though it had never been used and the bottom, sliding part of the stairs was missing.

Callen shrugged and trotted with her over to the stairs. Kensi was the first to go, holstering her Sig before standing beneath the ironwork. Before she could jump, she felt two strong hands around her waist, lifting her easily into the air. The grated landing was within reach now and she clawed her way onto it.

After crouching down and lending an arm to Callen, who fought his way up as well, they were both firmly on the twisting fire escape. For all their attempts at being silent, the groaning, worn metal made it difficult to be successful. Once at the top, Kensi peered through a dingy, stained window to see the inside of the building. All she could see were identical brown crates, stacked neatly with plenty of spaces between. There was no sign of any guards or even lighting beyond what little trickled through the skylights and small windows like she was currently peering through.

She motioned that it was okay to Callen, who had just finished jimmying the old padlock on the door. Kensi briefly wondered if Barden had even bothered to upgrade security before moving his valuable (and incriminating) goods into this building.

Once inside, Kensi could hear the old ventilation fans above her head spinning as she clanged down the stairs behind Callen. Once down, they found themselves amid the rows of boxes – boxes that would finally put an end to Callen's running and her anger about her father's death.

Callen put his gun back in its place as he turned to her. "It isn't healthy, is it?"

Kensi raised an eyebrow in question. "What isn't?"

"We aren't. We spend entirely too much of our time in warehouses," he stated, a smirk in his eyes even with the danger surrounding them. Kensi couldn't help but laugh and shake her head, already feeling so much of the weight that had been on her for years start to rise.

The sudden crack of a gunshot ripped through the silent air and dropped that weight squarely back onto her shoulders.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey everyone!**

**Thank you for the response on the last chapter! Originally I never intended for Hetty to know about Kensi's dealings with Callen, but after a lot of your wondering, I thought it was pretty out of character for her NOT to know. :P Anyway, I love getting reviews/messages from each one of you, and I always welcome more if you're feeling up to it. **

**Well, here we are. This chapter is one of my longer ones (which isn't saying much) but it has a lot of things to cover. Questions will be answered in this chapter, though. I only hope I put it together in a satisfying, understandable way. **

**Please enjoy!**

**[P.S. - I hate cliffhangers, too...but somehow, they're so fun to write.]**

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><p>Kensi wheeled toward the sound, her gun held out in defense. Scanning the catwalks high above, she searched for the shooter and glanced toward her partner to ask where the shot had come from. Only he was no longer standing next to her. Her gaze dropped to the floor and found him lying there, crumpled and unmoving.<p>

Kensi's heart seemed to plunge into her stomach and shoot into her throat at the same time. She bent down in desperation and placed a hand against his rough, lined face, hoping to see those bright blue eyes full of mirth and mystery. His closed eyelids greeted her instead, forcing a sick and painful feeling deep into her chest. The silence of the room was then shattered by a single, cruel voice.

"It's so nice to see you again, Kensi."

Kensi's fingers were hovering just above Callen's neck, about to check for a pulse while the other hand maintained a tight grip on her pistol. Rage filled every part of her mind as she stood and pointed her weapon between Barden's eyes, noting that he too was holding out a gun. The gun that had just sent a bullet into the man lying at her feet.

Before she could return the favor to Barden, the sound of cocking guns around her met her ears. A pair of rough hands found their way around her arms as another snatched the gun from her grasp. Another hand found its way into her pocket and yanked her phone from it, throwing it down and smashing it with a heavy boot.

Once her last lifeline was gone, her arms were wrenched behind her roughly and held there by an unseen member of Barden's posse that was now making its way out of the shadows of the building. They pulled her forward, away from Callen's unmoving form and closer to the murderous devil in front of her.

"Now, now," Barden mocked, "is that anyway to greet an old family friend?" His voice gathered even more of a tormenting edge as he came closer, sneering at her captured position. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out? You don't think others haven't tried this exact thing before?"

Kensi said nothing and only glared at him, though Barden seemed perfectly content with listening to his own voice and didn't need her to speak.

"You know," he said theatrically, toying with the pistol in his hand, "you did get closer than anyone has in quite a while. I have to give you that. Your friend there, Mr. Bradley is it?" he asked and Kensi gathered from his tone and smug smile that he knew there was no Joe Bradley. "He was merely a faceless thorn in my side before he called on your help. In fact, I should thank you. If he wouldn't have gone to you and NCIS, I wouldn't have known the infamous G. Callen from any other Joe Bradley in the world."

Kensi grappled with the thoughts running in her mind. She was torn between continuing to ignore the bastard's smug ranting and provoking more answers from him. The sound of his voice was making her blood boil, but soon he would run out of things to gloat about. And when that happened, she could be sure that a bullet would be placed neatly in her skull.

The only other option was to keep him talking and pray that someone would come to their aid. But even as she decided on the second option, she knew that the chances of being found here were slim to none. Her team had no idea where she was going and her only backup was bleeding out on the floor. There was only person who could even have an idea of their whereabouts, and it was the one person who had led her here in the first place.

The sudden and unwelcome truth of the traitor in NCIS became clear in that dim moment. Questions raced through her mind, being answered one by one as the puzzle came together. Kensi forced herself back from her thoughts and to the conversation at hand which would eventually lead back to this revelation once she steered Barden towards it. She glanced out the corner of her eye at Callen, willing him to get up. She _needed _him to get up.

"You can't be too clever if he got that close to begin with," she commented with biting disdain, trying to keep Barden talking about the trouble Callen had caused him. In the unlikely event she made it out of this alive, she needed as much ammunition against him as she could get. Unfortunately, she didn't consider the thin line there was between pushing Barden to talk and pushing him to act.

A flash of anger crossed his face and before she could truly react, the hard metal of the gun in his hand cracked against her head. She felt the jagged edge of the barrel cut into her forehead and bright spots danced on her vision as warm blood trailed down the side of her face. Her knees went out below her causing her to make a path for the ground but the unyielding hands that gripped her arms kept her upright.

Barden spoke once more as her vision began to clear. She swore she'd seen a twitch from Callen, but when she looked over he was in the same spot, an area of blood becoming visible underneath his body. The hit had held such strength that it took her a moment to fully recover.

"You might think that he got the best of me," Barden stated. "But we see now just how well that worked out. I took his job, his respect, and I would have taken his life much sooner than this."

"You had him framed for Trent Durke's murder."

"Oh come now, Kensi. We're not going to go over everything, are we? I have no doubt that your friend there filled you in well. The two of you _were_ awfully close at my party. You even managed to fool my guard, for a moment." Barden paused and waited not for a response, but for maddening effect. "Well, since you won't be leaving today I guess you can know from the source."

"Yes, I framed Agent Callen for Durke's murder. I have to admit, it was difficult finding someone to work for me within the elusive and classified Office of Special Projects. But I have an unnatural ability to pick out people who are of use to me."

"How did you make her do it?" Kensi asked, her voice breaking slightly as she fought against a wave of pain. "I know Nell, and she isn't some sick and twisted bastard like you."

Barden seemed to consider her for a moment and Kensi wondered if she should expect another hit from the gun in his hand. But he didn't raise his arm. "There is a lot you don't know about Nell Jones. While it's true that she didn't do it for the money, she has a dark past of her own. A run in with the law that, if discovered, would not only lose her the position with NCIS she worked _so hard_ to achieve," he stated, enjoying every bit of this miserable tale, "but would send someone she loved to a nice, concrete cell for the rest of his life."

"Imagine my relief in knowing I still had an operative in OSP when you came to my attention. Yes," he stated, an answer to her unasked question, "Ms. Jones led you here today. I convinced her to keep me informed of any activity surrounding me, and she proved a useful tool. Unwilling, but useful."

Kensi committed his words to memory and tried to put a clamp on the overwhelming feeling of betrayal. She should have noticed the strange way the intelligence analyst had been acting earlier, trying to keep her from going to this warehouse at this time. But she'd been blinded by the mission, blinded by the possibly favorable outcome that now seemed so far away.

She wondered briefly what Callen would think – to find out that the evidence in his frame-up had been planted by someone who worked in records, someone he had only occasionally crossed paths with. She wondered if he would even remember her name or her face. And she wondered if it would hurt more knowing that someone you barely knew had ruined your life as opposed to someone you were close with, someone who might have a reason why.

Kensi had little time to continue wondering as Barden began speaking again. "When he escaped," he continued, glancing at Callen, "I was angry that there was a loose end, but that was quickly solved. There are many people in the government who would rather not have the press of a dangerous rogue agent running loose in the country." He smiled, a sickening glare of teeth that caused Kensi's stomach to turn.

"If it hadn't been for my men failing to kill him and my _associate _Campbell's meetings with him, I might have forgotten him entirely. But he had to worm his way into my business, and honestly, I wasn't surprised to find out that Campbell was the one helping him. He was quickly dismissed from my service."

"Like my father?" she asked, meeting his cold glare with a defiant look.

Barden stopped pacing and turned his empty gaze on her. There was no sadness in his tone, no remorse in his response. "I didn't want to kill your father. Back then I thought I would never run into a situation where people wouldn't join me. We were fighting unpopular wars in the 90's, wars that people back here didn't understand and didn't care about. Patriotism and allegiance could be bought. Your father decided that he was not going to share the riches with me. He was going to turn me in. Turn _me _in," he stated more forcefully than before, "after all that I had offered him! He had the fault of thinking that others were as foolishly noble as he was. But he didn't count on the fact that others would gladly take the offer that he had refused from me."

There was a pause before Barden decided to twist the knife he'd stuck into her. "He even died noble. Oh, he did beg," he taunted, closing in on Kensi and dropping his voice to nearly a whisper. "But not for _his_ life. He only begged for yours. He was under the impression that I would go after you. His last wish would have been fulfilled, had your friend not brought you into my business. Sad, really."

Kensi felt the tell-tale sting of tears in her eyes, but blinked them away furiously. She refused to give this arrogant, delusional, greedy bastard the satisfaction of seeing them, since that was clearly what he wanted from her. Instead, she tried to calm her breathing and met his eyes, putting every ill thought towards him into her steely glare.

They had reached the precipice of the conversation and there was nothing left after this to be said. Barden knew it and stopped his walking, coming to stand in front of her. She waited for him to raise the barrel of the gun in his hand, but he handed it to one of the men next to her. In the next instant, his hands were around her neck and grasping the life from her.

Kensi gasped for air as the corners of her vision began to darken. Barden's face became blurred by other images more pressing that needed to play out. She pictured her father, standing with his arms spread open to pick her up when she was a little girl. She saw her team; Sam's hardened face, the crushed look in Deeks' eyes, and Dom's disbelieving expression. And she saw Callen, once holding her in his arms and then bleeding out onto the cold, concrete floor where she was soon to join him.


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey guys!**

**Here we go again! Thank you guys for all the input on the last chapter - I loved reading what you thought. **

**A few things before we get to it -**

**Yes, Nell's the mole! I feel like I have to explain a bit - I started writing this story during Season 2, when Nell was still kind of annoying and hadn't really grown on me. I planned on making her more _evil_ than victimized, but she started to grow on me. So by the time I got to writing this chapter, I didn't want to make her quite as evil as I had planned. Just one of the many changes that this story has undergone. I hope it isn't too far fetched and is enjoyable to read. **

**Anyway, here it is! This chapter actually is pretty long (compared to the others) and has a lot going on. I hope you enjoy!**

**PS - I don't own it, and you might hate me a little after this one. **

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><p>Kensi had been unconscious before - the slow, steady decline into darkness was nothing new for her. It never got any more pleasant but it was an escape nonetheless, a peaceful foray into oblivion and away from anything else. Even the feel of a murderous man's tight grip around her neck ceased to be present and was replaced with the cool feel of the concrete floor.<p>

Kensi gasped deep breaths of air, waiting for the sudden supply of oxygen to return her to the present. She could deafly hear the sound of a struggle next to her but sounded miles away and she couldn't bring her clouded eyes around to see it. The dull, throbbing sound of her blood in her ears was soon broken by a newer, much louder one than the fight next to her.

"_Federal Agents_!"

Sam's deep baritone broke through her fog and she managed to raise herself up after coughing violently. Gunshots followed his outburst and running bodies filled the room. Kensi could hear Deeks shouting down for her and she turned her head toward the sound.

"I'm good," she rasped, loud as she could over the firefight. She wondered if he could hear her, but her motion must have put his mind at ease. Remembering her other partner, she rolled quickly, ready to check the body for a sign of life that she couldn't find before. It wasn't in its place on the floor. She scrambled to her feet and dove behind a crate for safety as shots came closer, putting her head up just far enough to frantically scan for Callen as the bullets flew dangerously around the room.

Two shadows were moving off to the right of her, breaking for the metal staircase they'd come down. She could instantly see that Barden was the one in front, clawing his way up the steps amid the shots being fired all around. The other figure was hunched, running only at half speed and clutching an arm around its side before disappearing into the light of the outside world. _Callen. _

Damning the bullets flying through the air, Kensi ran into the open and grabbed the gun that had been held by Barden, lost in the scuffle. The sight of Callen up and running put drive back into her heart and a greater relief than she'd ever felt.

Kensi sprinted up the stairs and pushed through the door. The bright California sunlight momentarily blinded her, but the sounds of a struggle above forced her to acclimate quickly.

Barden must have decided the roof was the better option than the deteriorating stairs, and Kensi could see Callen struggling with the other man further along the gravel-covered surface. Callen's gun fell from his hands as Barden aimed a hit to the wound in his side. He tried to block it but was unsuccessful, being knocked onto the ground. Kensi clawed her way onto the roof and cried out as the older man stood above the injured one, newly acquired gun pointed down at Callen's head.

"Barden!"

The man in question turned, gun drawn. There was no hesitation in Kensi's aim as she squeezed the trigger, putting three speeding pieces of metal into his chest. Barden seemed to stand still, locked in a second's amount of time before tumbling off the side of the building and disappearing from her sight.

Kensi didn't stop to let her actions sink in - the full effect of ending the man who had cost her so much would be something to be dwelt on later. In that moment, Callen was her only concern.

He was coughing and struggling to get up off the ground himself. Kensi rushed forward, pulling him up in an attempt to not only keep him from falling once more but also prove to herself that he was indeed alive and whole.

"Callen!" she exclaimed, briefly allowing herself to give in and hold him close, finding her face in the crook of his neck before pulling back to examine him. "Stop moving!"

He shook his head, resisting her urging and trying to pull away. "I'm fine, Kenz," he wheezed.

"Like hell you're fine," she nearly shouted. She was dizzy herself from the hit to her head and nearly being suffocated but refused to let him act like _he _was okay. She tried to maintain her grip on his blood-soaked shirt but he brushed her off.

"Let me go," he answered, stumbling toward the metal fire escape.

"Barden's gone, G," she retorted, following him off the roof and onto the small landing. She could still hear the firefight inside, though it was dying off quickly and the voices of her team were still present. "You can stop running."

Callen turned to her and she saw the pain in his face, pain that he was masking with resolve. "Trust me; it'll be better if I'm not around for a while."

The reasons he shouldn't be running away were flying through Kensi's mind a mile a minute. He was shot – probably seriously, and he could die if he didn't get to a hospital. They finally had the information they needed, enough to clear his name and get his life back - he could finally _live_ again. Barden was dead and gone. Most of all, he couldn't just run away from what they were and what they had – she wanted him to stay. She _needed _him to stay even more than she wanted to admit.

There were a million questions she wanted to ask, a million things she wanted to say to him but couldn't find a way to voice them. And even if she somehow could, he wouldn't answer them anyway.

"Look," he stated, putting a scarred and calloused hand up to her cheek. "You did it, Kenz. Barden's gone and _you _did it. Don't forget that." He winced and drew in a sharp breath. "But it's time for me to disappear."

And with a final, parting kiss, he was down the stairs, tumbling down the large span missing a ladder, and staggering toward his car.

Kensi barely heard the clanging on the stairs behind the door to the inside of the building. She only watched as Callen moved across the road and reached the door of his fire red car. Finally, her vocal chords seemed to unglue and she raised her gun, shouting across the street.

"Callen!"

He turned to her once more, blue eyes too distant to see. She knew he could see her weapon raised and also knew that she wouldn't take a shot, though there was enough hesitation to show he briefly considered otherwise. She swore she saw a smile on his face before he quickly turned back around but couldn't be sure.

Kensi heard the door open behind her and felt another presence at her side as they both watched the injured man climb into his car and speed off down the street.

She only had a moment to turn and register Sam pulling out his phone, shouting out Callen's plate number before she was pulled away from the railing and back into the dim building. Gentle, insistent hands turned her around and Deeks' face hovered in front of her.

"Kensi?" he questioned loudly, bringing a tentative hand up to her forehead. The spot he touched stung and she was immediately reminded of the blow she'd taken earlier. Deeks' face blurred for a moment and she swayed, but was quickly caught by her partner.

"Deeks," she groaned out as the adrenaline left her body and she felt every stress of the day return in full force.

"Come on," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders and guiding her down the stairs. Kensi could hear ambulances coming in the distance as she took stock of the inside the building. Two of Barden's men were lying on the ground, not moving. Another three were wearing zip-ties around their wrists and looking sullen. Dom was in the process of restricting a final one when Deeks walked Kensi past and back out into the blinding sunlight.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Kensi was sitting in the back of an ambulance having her head examined and bandaged by a paramedic. She had a mild concussion and the wound from the hit needed some stitches, but otherwise was no worse for the wear. She would also have some pretty ugly bruises around her neck for a few weeks, but nothing that would leave permanent physical damage. The emotional damage, however, would stay with her longer than the bruises and the scars.<p>

Other agents on the scene secured the area and found Barden's mangled body. Kensi watched them wheel it into a coroner's van and let the gravity of her actions fall upon her. The man was her father's commanding officer, someone her father had trusted with his life. She was taken back to the funeral, when Barden had stood by her side, speaking condolences to her with a straight face. And all the while he was the one responsible for his death. The thought that he was now gone from the world brought her relief, but not as much as she wished she could feel.

She refused to let her mind drift off into her emotions and instead focused on the people she would now need to worry about. Deeks had been hovering around the ambulance since he'd taken her to it, waiting until the paramedics were finished with their work. Kensi knew he would have a lot of questions (everyone would) and they would inevitably bring her back to thinking about Callen, which was something she didn't want to do just yet.

Sam was heading her way, either to get a statement or royally chew her out, both of which were deserved. Kensi only wished she could ignore the look of utter disappointment and betrayal that stared through his eyes. He stepped up to the ambulance, watching her for a moment longer before shaking his head. Her team leader abruptly turned, muttered something to Deeks, and walked away.

She had been expecting a similar reaction but no image her mind had produced prepared her for when it actually happened. Had she been a weaker woman, she would have broken down and begged for forgiveness. But Kensi was not weak; she'd known since day one that this would happen and could only wait for the day that everyone might somehow understand and maybe even forgive her.

Turning her face downward, she examined some of the small scrapes on her hands. Deeks' hesitant footsteps were closing in and she would just as soon not read the same look in his eyes that she had found in Sam's. While she wasn't weak, she wasn't feeling strong enough to look at her friend and risk it.

"So."

One word. One word that carried with it so much uncertainty and questioning - one word that she had no good way of answering. She kept her gaze on her hands.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice light and concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

There was a long pause while Kensi tried to find the right words. She didn't know how he would respond to anything she'd have to say – she only knew how _she_ would react and was instantly worried.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said this didn't explain a lot," he stated casually, his light-hearted tone going against the seriousness of his words as he brought up a conversation that seemed like it was years ago.

Kensi tried to smile at his words as unseen tears stung her eyes. Guilt was gnawing at her from the inside, clawing and fighting to break the control she'd built over her emotions. She didn't deserve a partner like Deeks – she'd lied to him, betrayed his trust, and yet he was still here; not pushing the matter or demanding answers. Deserved or not, she was grateful for him and found the strength to meet his concerned gaze.

There was an understanding in his eyes that she hadn't expected. Something that reminded her of a simple, yet all too important fact – he was on her side, no matter what. It was a benefit that came from being partners and having trust of your life in the other's hands. It was a benefit she'd found with Callen and a benefit that he'd rediscovered in the short week they'd spent together.

As if he could see her drifting away, Deeks spoke again. "You should really go to the hospital, Kensi."

The injured agent snapped and shook her head, partly as an answer and partly to stall her current line of thinking. She instantly recalled the tale Barden had told her not an hour before and one face stood out in particular. A young, innocent face that had done wrong. "No, Deeks. I need to go back to OPS. We all do."

* * *

><p>As if on cue, Hetty was standing in the middle of the entrance to OPS when they walked in the door. She silently separated Kensi from the group of agents and stood for a moment until they were alone.<p>

"You shouldn't be here, Ms. Blye."

Kensi ignored her warning and jumped straight into the pressing information.

"It's Nell. Nell's been…"

Hetty cut her off before she could finish. "I am well aware of Ms. Jones' situation." Kensi's surprise must have shown on her face, as the older woman quickly continued. "She informed me of the situation shortly after you left with dangerous information."

Kensi briefly thought of just what that entailed. Nell had given up her anonymity, her relative safety and the safety of whoever she was protecting to protect her. She was glad her defense of the young analyst hadn't been wrong earlier, but knew that more questions would accompany the answers she was getting now.

"Where is she?"

There was no look of surprise on Hetty's face at this apparent concern, though Kensi supposed it could seem strange. After all, this was the one person who had kept her in fear for over a week, a person who had been secretly betraying her and Callen right under her nose. But in this job, you had to have the ability to get over things quickly if you wanted to have a chance.

"Ms. Jones is taking down a statement with other agents," Hetty answered, watching Kensi closely. "She has information on the inner workings of Barden's whole operation that will be helpful in removing the final traces."

"What's going to happen to her?"

Hetty considered her for a moment. "What do you think will happen?"

Kensi sighed inaudibly and turned her gaze elsewhere. "Does it have to be that way?"

This statement did earn some measure of surprise from the operations manager. "She framed an NCIS agent and led another into a death trap. There isn't much way around that."

"We've all made mistakes," Kensi said quietly, lowering her gaze from Hetty. Even if she wanted to, Kensi wouldn't have been able to look at Nell as anything but a victim of James Barden's scheming; same as Callen, same as Campbell, and same as her father. "She shouldn't have to pay for them with the rest of her life."

Hetty nodded knowingly. "It is…_convenient_, then," she stated, a scheming look in her eye, "that Ms. Jones has been on assignment for three years."

"Assignment?" Kensi asked incredulously.

Hetty nodded. "A deep cover operation involving a corrupt former Marine turned defense contractor, personally okayed by the Secretary of Defense. Ms. Jones infiltrated the operation and set up our best agent to gather information. After two years of building cover, you were brought in to get closer to Barden and finally take down the entire operation." Kensi could only stare, gaping at the woman before her.

Kensi searched Hetty's face for any sign that what she was saying was actually the truth. And while she supposed it was possible, given Hetty's history of grand and intricate operations, she didn't think it could be true. She would have stopped them long before it all came down to what had happened: that much she knew.

"Will they believe that?" she asked.

In a rare moment of transparency, Hetty nodded. "Washington will want whatever answer solves all their problems at once. Besides, Leon owes me one. Now," she stated, taking a step back from her agent, "I believe we'll go upstairs. Your team will want answers, and it's best to do them all at once."

Kensi blindly nodded and followed the small woman up the stairs and into OPS. She could feel four pairs of eyes watching her and Hetty and another pair staring firmly into the ground as they entered. They all deserved answers and now they would get them.

It took nearly an hour, but Kensi explained everything that had happened from the moment they had found the body of Staff Sergeant Campbell to the firefight they'd just come from. She explained how Callen had been in her home, had explained everything about Barden and her father, and all the other situations they had run into.

Only that wasn't entirely true. Kensi glazed over the incident at the warehouse, when Callen had been doing vigilante work. It would do no one good to explain the laws he'd broken in that night alone. And the finer points of their night in a small motel room didn't need to be brought up with any person in the room, although she could practically hear the questions in the air as she skipped from the gala to finding the body of the store owner.

The team remained surprising quiet, letting her ramble through her story without stopping to ask anything of her. The one person that did break the silence of the room when she'd finished was the one person who'd gone nearly unnoticed the entire time. Nell hesitantly stood and Hetty turned the attention of the others on to their young analyst.

What followed was a story more desperate than any one they could have imagined. Barden had approached Nell within a week of getting hired at NCIS, when she was fresh out of college and new to the world. He knew things about her that were nearly impossible to know – he knew about her stepfather, a man who had taken her in as if she was his own when her mother died. He knew how the man had broken his back working off a laborer's salary to give her a home to live in, food for their table, and books for her to get an education and a better life than he could provide.

"And…I knew how hard he'd worked," she choked, taking a calming breath and continuing. "But I was just so angry at the world for taking my mother away from me. I started hanging out with the wrong group of people and…getting into the wrong kinds of things. I got arrested a few times for different things – bad things - but my dad convinced them to take it off of my record when I turned eighteen."

"Barden came to me and he _knew_. He knew about everything and he said that if I didn't work with him, he could make my life hell. He said he could kill my father and no one would think twice. My dad's in a home – paralyzed from a falling beam crushing him," she finished by way of explanation. "He won't let me take care of him – he doesn't want to be a bother. I couldn't let him be in danger because of me."

Kensi's heart went out to the woman because, in reality, their paths were remarkably similar. She had done just as bad of a deed when she'd agreed to help Callen before she knew his innocence – all for the love of a father. She was just happy that Hetty had seen it in the same light as she had. Even after she explained her actions when Callen had been framed and how Barden had contacted her again after an agent began poking around, Kensi felt nothing but sympathy and understanding for Nell. She only hoped the rest of the team would find the same understanding for her.

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><p>At the end of the day, Kensi found herself alone on the second floor of the building. She watched through a single, small window as the sun cast its final rays across the ground, painting the landscape in orange and red. It was a time of peace in what had been a chaotic week - a moment that she had a hard time accepting was even possible after all the risks and danger she'd been through. But although her eyes were staring out at the California sunset, her thoughts were miles away with a man who had left her behind.<p> 


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey everyone!**

**Thanks for the response to the last chapter! It was great to hear from all of you again and I'm glad you're still enjoying the story - I still love reading what you have to say, and to be honest, I'm kind of sad it's ending too!**

**Oh, random thing I forgot to mention last chapter - when Hetty said "Leon owes me", I actually meant Leon Panetta, the Secretary of Defense...but Vance works too! My OCD with this story made me mention that. **

**As for this chapter, I've been calling it 'deleted scene' since I started writing it. You'll now find out why! **

**Disclaimer - I own nothing.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>It had been a long time since he was last in this city, and in his opinion it wasn't nearly long enough. The only time he'd called it home was when he worked with the Agency, and those years weren't exactly fond memories for either party – though Langley had no problems with him when he was completing their missions and keeping their secrets. This city had always seemed restrictive to the man who made a life out of constantly changing. But people willing to help an accused rogue agent were few and far between, and Washington D.C. just happened to have one of them. So like it or not, he was stuck.<p>

It was this fact that found Callen walking up a quiet street late in the night with a slight limp to his gait. His side hurt like hell and he was weak from losing blood, but he'd managed to patch himself well enough to make the 2,700-plus mile flight. Leaving had been the best idea - it wasn't safe for anyone in L.A. anymore, least of all the woman he was running from. Physically safe, yes – but otherwise, not so much.

The look on Kensi's face when he'd said goodbye had followed him all the way from that warehouse to his current spot in D.C. The confusion in her eyes, the hurt in her voice…they'd echoed through the hours and the miles and tore at his resolve to stay away. After finally getting the man who killed her father, the man who had caused her years of questions and pain, she was still unable to have the peace she deserved. And knowing that he was the reason she couldn't only further cemented his plan to cut ties after the mission. It had taken every ounce of sense he had to walk away.

Callen was never a man quick to run away from a situation, but one week with Kensi Blye had scared him. It had been too long since he'd had someone to depend on and someone that depended on him. He'd been kept from that closeness for years and had found it with the woman who had at first been a means to an end. The foreign feeling confused and conflicted him beyond what he was willing or able to rightly express, so he did the one thing his mind told him was the right thing to do – he ran.

He turned his focus to the quiet sounds of the night and his steady, crunching footsteps instead of on things he told himself to forget. He felt no guilt in calling on this particular person at an ungodly hour of night. If he knew anything about his old friend, he was definitely not asleep. It was a trait they shared, among other things. Callen lifted a fist to the door but stopped himself before knocking. The door would be unlocked (even though he himself had suggested doing otherwise in the past) so he let himself in and went to the place where he knew he'd find its tenant.

As expected, his unknowing host was right where expected; hunched over an old workbench, the steady sound of sandpaper scraping wood filling the air. Callen leaned against the rail of the stairs for a moment as another wave of pain came and quietly watched the work. It was comforting to know that for all the unpredictability in life, at least one thing could remain the same.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" the man's stern voice asked, never once looking up from his work. Callen felt the corner of his mouth twitch at the old Marine's tone.

"Now, there's _no_ _way_ you were expecting me," he answered. The sanding stopped abruptly as the older man lifted his head, slowly turning and putting his piercing gaze on his new guest. Callen smirked at him from his place on the stairs. "Hello, Gibbs."

The gray-haired man stared at him for another moment before answering. "Hello Callen."

"How's about that drink?"

Gibbs didn't respond, only dumped a jar of bolts out onto the counter and reached for a bottle. The other agent gripped the railing and slowly started down the rest of the stairs. He kept his face straight but couldn't help the wince that came with the jerking movements.

"What brings you to D.C.?"

Callen set himself down heavily on a sawhorse and gratefully took the proffered glass, downing it quickly. "Oh, just on the run from my _former_ team," he answered, watching as Gibbs poured him a refill. "You know, since I've been selling out the military and my country, as the brass would say," he finished dryly, unable to keep the bitter tone from his voice and knowing it would be useless to try.

Gibbs chuckled and nodded. "So I've heard."

Silence fell as Callen nursed his second glass of bourbon. He could feel his friend's gaze watching him with interest and more than a little concern in his knowing eyes. Gibbs had always been good at reading people and Callen knew that the grunt in his voice and occasional winces weren't going unnoticed by the veteran agent with eagle eyes.

"It's not that bad," he stated, answering the question that had been hidden in the silence.

"It never is," Gibbs quipped, holding out his glass. Callen smirked and tapped his jar against it, throwing back the amber liquid after. They drank quietly before Gibbs spoke again. "You going to tell me what happened?"

Callen stared him down for a moment before shaking his head. "Let's just say things didn't go as planned. Didn't have the clean getaway I hoped for."

"Who is she?" Gibbs asked suddenly. Callen's gaze snapped up, examining the knowing glint in his friend's eyes. "I've seen that look before," he answered to the former agent's question.

Callen felt a corner of his mouth twitch. "An agent. An _NCIS_ agent," he clarified. "One of Sam's." If things had gone differently, he noted, she would have been _his_ agent. "Her father was murdered by the man who had me framed."

Gibbs nodded in understanding. "Rule 12," he said simply.

Callen snorted. "Doesn't exactly apply," he pointed out, "but I know what you mean." Callen sighed and gazed into his amber-colored glass. "It wasn't supposed to happen at all."

Gibbs raised his glass again in a half salute. "Now that I _know_ I've heard before," he stated and Callen chuckled. "You were good, Callen. You can still be good."

"Yeah," he trailed wistfully, remembering Kensi's words that had gone along the same lines. Hoping to drown the sudden memory of her soft body pressed into his own and her lips trailing kisses along his jaw, he threw back the rest of his bourbon as an unspoken end to that line of conversation.

After another bout of talk concerning Gibbs' boats, keeping in practice with Russian, and rehashing years-old missions, Callen had finally drank enough whiskey to keep his recent memories and pain at bay. With the implied promise of a place to lay low and sort it out, he felt more comfortable here in D.C. than he had since he'd left Kensi and L.A. behind over six hours before.

Callen laughed along with his friend before Gibbs finally stood and clicked the work light off. "What are you going to do?"

Callen considered his suddenly stern question, staring down at the sawdust covered floor. He only wished he had an answer. He shook his head and faced Gibbs, seeing the ever-present knowing look on the older man's face. And in typical-Gibbs fashion, he gave Callen an answer (minus a head-slap).

"Get it together."

Callen gave a half-hearted toast with his nearly empty glass and watched as Gibbs climbed the stairs, leaving him alone in the dark.


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey everyone!**

**Well here's the final chapter of Rogue. I've had a blast writing this story and I can only hope you enjoyed reading it half as much. Your reviews and messages were the driving force in this story and I'm so grateful to you all for taking the time to send them to me. **

**(I kind of changed the narrative in this chapter to make it seem more like the present. It just seemed right when I wrote it. I hope you don't mind!)**

**Disclaimer - I still don't own it, even after all these months! **

**Random P.S. - I just saw Red Tails today, and Daniela Ruah has a pretty big part in there - she was awesome! **

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><p>"<em>Come with me."<em>

Kensi raises her head from filling out yet another post-action report and turns to her team leader with questioning.

It has been two weeks since they took down Barden and were in the process of getting rid of what remained of his 'grand operation'. In all, they found ties to six people in the Pentagon, four members of the CIA, and a support staff of 19 members of the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force. There were even plants working in the Coast Guard, DEA, and ICE. It was an exhausting task, one that had crossed through more red tape than even Hetty was safe cutting. But it was well worth the reward.

Now here they were, back in the OSP building and waiting for the next case. And what a wait it was becoming. Whether it was because of the fast paced week she'd had before or just a general calming of the world, she gets the feeling that she's spending most of her time sitting on her hands.

Nell is still working with the team, and though the first few days had been uncomfortably strange for everyone, her invaluable information helped them bring down most of the men in Barden's plot. Things had finally returned to normal. _Almost_.

Things between Kensi and her team leader were…_icy_, to say the least. He hasn't said more than a handful of words to her in the time since everything happened and hearing his voice again startles her. She watches as he walks out of the bullpen and around the corner. Catching Deeks' sympathetic look does little to calm her as she stands and follows him out.

He hadn't gone far, walking down the hall far enough to be out of earshot from Deeks and any other wandering ears. They stand in silence for a moment before Kensi cracks, unable to handle this lasting silence.

"Look, Sam…"

He holds up a hand. "Don't." There is a long pause and she briefly wonders if he will walk away again. But he simply bows his head and sighs. "Don't explain. I understand why you did what you did. I don't like it," he adds, raising his voice above its previous tone, "but I can understand it. I would have done the same to protect this team."

Kensi watches him in a state of relieved surprise. From the reluctant look in his eyes, she knows that he isn't only talking about her in his statement.

"He wanted to protect you," she says quietly. "And everyone else. He didn't want any of you to be pulled into the mess he got into."

"It wasn't his choice to make," Sam retorts, his voice lacking the bitterness with which he'd spoken before about his former partner. Kensi knows that he was slowly working toward accepting Callen's actions as well as her own, but like anything important, it would take time.

"You would have done the same thing, Sam. You said so yourself."

Sam nods slowly and his expression lightens. "Next time, just come to us, okay? We're a team for a reason."

Kensi returns her nod and looks out the window they'd stopped near. Something inside her hurts at bringing up Callen again – the same thing that had happened every time he'd crossed her mind in the past week.

"You miss him."

Sam's voice startles her out of her thoughts. She looks at him and sees a small hint of a smile playing at his mouth. There was sympathy mixed into his look and Kensi can't try to deny the obvious truth.

"Yeah. I do," she answers quietly.

Sam nods once again. "Callen never did know what was good for him."

Kensi gives him the closest thing she can to a smile in response. Things weren't okay – they would take time – but they soon could be. But they could never be the same as they were. Working with Callen has changed her.

And so the months go by, every day another battle to wake up and get back into the swing of things. She finds herself wondering whether the entire ordeal had ever happened at all. But the pain reminds her.

The team sees its changes, too. A call comes in from high above and asks for their junior-most agent to pack up his bags and catch the first flight out to Manila. It's a great opportunity for him to move up the ladder and refine his field and technical skills, and the team is happy. At least they _try_ to be happy. Losing a member is never easy, whether it's through death, scandal, or transfer. They give Dom a heartfelt send off and return to the everyday grind.

She doesn't expect to hear from him. Why would she? Callen had left her with no warning and no idea of where he would go. She tried to ignore the nagging idea that he could have died bleeding out from his wound and instead focused on the fact that he was more than capable of taking care of himself. It was one thing he was good at.

But he does cross her mind on occasion, during the moments in the office or at home when everything is still and quiet and no one is around to distract her from the memories. Somehow, he always finds a way into her thoughts and the nagging pain that his departure left returns. Sometimes, she finds herself foolishly glancing through case files or reading through news headlines to see if anything that sounded like him has surfaced. She knows there is next to no chance of actually seeing anything, but has to try all the same. She's constantly on edge, even more so than she's used to.

It's this mood that follows Kensi through the months after the ordeal with Barden and into her present situation: trying to force information from a less than willing suspect. Lately, she has been quick to frustration and even quicker to anger, and neither helps in an interrogation. The man in front of her can easily spot her short fuse and uses it to his advantage.

After her threatening bluff is called, she glares in his direction and walks out of the small room to where her team should be waiting. She doesn't look for them, instead choosing to focus on the file in her hands and begin ranting her annoyance.

"Unbelievable! The guy refuses to give up anything - I even tried the whole 'you-talk-and-I'll-do-you-a-favor' card and nothing!" She throws her file down on the table, enjoying the loud slap echoing through the room and leans against the worn wood. With a scowl, she watches the man in question sit with that damned smug grin through the flat-screen TV.

"Got any other bad ideas?"

The voice from behind strikes her like something from a distant memory and she wonders if it's all just another trick of her mind. The sound is exactly as she remembers it and entirely different at the same time. It's harder yet softer, stronger yet weaker than her memory has been fabricating the past three months. Though the words are all too familiar.

She turns slowly, abandoning her position on the table and instead facing him. The situation is familiar and she is instantly taken back to a darkening night, a long, elegant dress, and the dangerously handsome man that is standing in front of her once more. He isn't wearing a tux, but rather his usual outfit of dark jeans and a deep blue shirt. His piercing blue eyes are watching her intently and she is momentarily transfixed, much like the first time she met those eyes.

He smirks at her apparent daze, but there is no teasing in his stare. Something else is present in his eyes as he watches her emotions flash across her face. Kensi's surprise at seeing him here – not only back in L.A. but in their own safe house – isn't masked or hidden from his view.

She tentatively steps forward, almost willing this apparition to disappear and leave her frustrated and abandoned once more but nothing happens. He makes no movement as she inches closer, close enough to reach out and touch. And as she stares into his face, seeing her own reservations and deeply buried relief reflected through his eyes, she does the only rational thing her mind can think of.

She hits him.

The crack of her knuckles reverberates through the room and surprises the man on the receiving end of the blow. If he'd been expecting a warm, cheesy welcoming, he had another thing coming. And she isn't done yet.

Rearing back, she balls her fist and tries to strike again. Callen, now alerted to the threat, easily dodges her swing and removes himself from her line of fire.

"Kenz, calm down!"

Kensi glares and lunges again, hoping to release some of the pent-up anger and frustration toward the man who has caused her so much misery. "Don't you start that with me!" she says, mid-swing.

He sees her coming and once again dodges, this time using her emotion-fueled state to his advantage. Grabbing her wrist, he spins her around and captures her arms. Her body is thrown flush into his and Kensi refuses to let her anger be calmed by this long-awaited closeness.

"Take it easy," he says again, this time lower and more insistent. His breath is hot on her neck, tickling the stray hairs that have fallen out of her messy pony.

Ignoring the effect he has on her body, Kensi throws her hips back and her arms down, breaking his grasp on her. She wheels around to face him, drawing in deep breaths as she stares him down from a safe distance.

"Take it easy? You show up here after three months and tell me to take it easy? I didn't know if you were alive or dead, Callen!"

"Well, I'm not dead," he replies, his smirk firmly in place even after her attack. And while his good mood should only be fueling her anger, she can feel it crumbling away. "Nice hook," he says, rubbing his jaw absently.

"You deserve it," she states, her voice lacking some of the bite it previously possessed. "You left, Callen. And I had no idea where you went."

Callen shrugs and offers his standard, vague answer. "I was around."

She doesn't smile at his response. "So we're back acting like this? Like nothing ever happened?"

"No," he counters, the smirk faltering and finally disappearing from his face. "Something did happen, Kenz. Look, I'm not good with the whole 'talking it out' thing," he groans, running a hand through his short hair as he turns away from her. She resists the urge to throw in an "obviously". "But there's no way around it. We…both know something happened between us – something that wasn't just a heat of the moment deal. What we have is more than that."

She waits as he watches her expectantly and can't help the flop her stomach does at his words. The idea that he tried to put words to something that had evaded explanation for so long was somehow more touching than any poetic declaration could have been. Especially from a man like him. So she takes pity, moving the conversation back to something they are good at: banter.

"What we _have_?" she questions, stepping closer. "It's been three months. Maybe I've moved on." He snorts but she can see the worry flash through his eyes. "What? Is that so unlikely?" she hounds, advancing again to within inches of him. He doesn't move back. "That a man might actually _want_ to stick around and be with me?"

"Kensi…" he warns, his eyes filling with some suspicion and apprehension. It's the closest thing to nervous that she's ever seen on him. She doesn't blame him after the welcome she gave him earlier.

"I guess I could try to remember what we _had_," she whispers before brushing her lips against his. She pulls back quickly, unable to resist torturing the man who has tortured her for months. He groans as she teases him, pecking his lips once more. "We can keep playing this game."

"No," he interrupts, his arms darting out to hold her away. "No games."

Her breath hitches at what she sees in his blue eyes and her teasing smile falls. "No games."

A ghost of a smirk returns to his lips before he pulls her close, kissing her deeply. She melts into his touch, winding her arms around his neck and responding to his passion with a greater intensity than any time before. After a few breathless moments, they part. Instead of pulling away, Callen pulls her forward and holds her close, as though wishing never to leave again.

Eventually they part with a smile and she turns her attention back to the fact that she is in the NCIS boatshed and her team should be around. The thought crosses her mind that they are, and she quickly turns to Callen with another question.

"Where did Sam and Deeks go?"

"They headed back to OPS," he says coyly. "Seems that they thought it'd be safer for them there. They'll be back later for him," he adds, pointing at the screen.

She nods in agreement. "So you talked to Sam?"

"Well, as close to talking as Sam and I have ever been," he answers, but his face retains a smile that tells her it must have gone alright. "Still the same old SEAL, I see."

She nods and watches him closely. "So things are okay, then?" she asks and he gives her another shrug.

"But why did they let you in _here_?" she asks. Callen gives her an obvious look and she knows the answer immediately. "Hetty."

He nods. "Apparently, she's got it in her head that she wants another agent. An old agent, actually."

"Well, we do have a vacancy."

This time, he shakes his head. "Not be on a team. _Lead_ a team. _My_ _team_."

She understands his answer faster than she expects, partly because it was something she'd wondered before. "Your team? Your _old_ team?" He nods. "What about Sam?"

"Are you kidding?" he laughs. "He has the same power and less of the accountability. He was more than happy to dump it off on me. With the provision that he gets to drive," he adds, earning a smile from her.

"Well then," she says, her voice sly, "I guess that means you're my boss now."

"I guess it does."

"And something makes me think that people wouldn't consider what we're about to do to be a smart thing."

"No, I guess not," he responds, wrapping an arm around her waist as they make a break for the door.

"You know, you're right," she smiles, placing a hand on his chest before they get to his all too familiar Mustang. His eyes question her and she smirks in return, rising up to kiss him once more. "I _do_ have another bad idea."

"I'll bet you do."


End file.
